Kris Longknife: Legend
by bluminous8
Summary: AU Crossover - Eighty years since the Itechee war that had almost caused Humanity's extinction, their old enemy rises again and it is up to Kris Longknife to find a mysterious 'weapon' that is crucial for Humanity to survive.
1. Chapter 1

Kris Longknife**: Legend**

By** Bluminous**

_**No money has been made from writing this story. All characters belongs to Mike Shepherd and J.K. Rowling**_

**Summary**: An uneasy peace has formed between the Greenfeld Alliance and Wardhaven's United Sentients, after Kris Longknife's efforts to save her family's most bitter enemy, Henry-Peterwald Smythe XII from an assassination attempt.

Eighty years since the Itechee war that had almost caused Humanity's extinction, their old enemy rises again and it is up to Kris Longknife to find a mysterious 'weapon' that is crucial for Humanity to survive.

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_I strongly urge readers of this Science –Fiction crossover to look up Mike Shepherd's books, the Kris Longknife series. (Great books) If for some reason that Mr. Shepherd does not like me using his characters and sends me a message of any form, I would of course immediately comply and stop writing and remove this story. I hope not. _

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**Longknife** – (Those damn Longknifes), Famous family, known for always finding trouble, or trouble keeps finding them. Accomplishments of the members of this family were key to victory during the Itechee War.

_**Kris Longknife**_ – Princess, Navy Lieutenant of four years. Daughter of the prime minister of Wardhaven, and great granddaughter of the Itechee War Heroes Ray Longknife and General Trouble (mother's side).

_**Wardhave**__n_ – One of the most powerful of the Rim planets, founder of United Sentients, an alliance of close to 100 planets. The head of the United Sentients is Ray Longknife and is made King of the alliance.

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* * *

**Chapter 1**

_Twenty fourth century_

The Wasp made good speed back to Wardhaven space, in a comfortable 1g run. Kris Longknife, lieutenant of the United Sentients Navy looked at the weapons control panel on the bridge while Captain Drago of the Wasp looked at the sensors display on his chair with worry.

Technically, the Wasp was not a U.S. Warship since she was privately owned by Kris. She had captured the ship while on patrol on board Captain Drago's merchant ship, The Resolute some months back. She found a Greenfeld ship trying to destroy sensor buoys that defined the boundary of Greenfeld and Wardhaven space and through sheer courage and skill, managed to capture the ship.

Kris had captured the ship, and found out that it had incorporated the latest of hybrid smart metal technology and decided that she needed a ship of her own. She was impressed with the crew of the Resolute, and it took little convincing for the crew to realize that they were better off working for Kris Longknife, a major stockholder of Nuu enterprises, owned by Al Longknife.

The Wasp looked like an ordinary merchant ship, but beneath her hull she sported four twenty four inch pulse lasers and an array of five inch beam cannons for long range engagements. The refit of the Wasp was completed in the Nuu Shipyards, and her uncle Al added several technological breakthroughs in weapons energy management that made the wasp capable of going head on with the large hulking battleships of the Earth Navy.

"Do you believe me now?" Kris asked when the sensors showed that no Greenfeld squadron of battleships was pursuing them.

"Yes." Drago let out a sigh of relief and muttered a prayer of thanks to his religion's God.

"I saved his life by shooting that suicidal luxury ship, and her daughter was on board to see it. Of course he'll believe me." Kris said. "Tell the crew to stand down from their battle stations."

"I still can't believe that you made it out alive." Drago said as he pushed a few buttons in his command console. "Damn Longknife luck."

"Can I resume teaching Cara now? We missed our lesson because of all the excitement." Nelly asked eagerly.

Kris rolled her eyes at her computer. Nelly was a gift from her Aunt Tru, the retired chief of Wardhaven's Information bureau. The computer was among the most advanced of her kind, with self organizing circuits, and recently Kris had undergone an expensive operation so that she and Nelly could communicate through her thoughts.

Her computer, the weight of a quarter of a kilogram, was currently attached to her neck and it was using its unparalleled computational power to check on the Wasp's systems. Her last upgrade with Nelly cost her enough to buy a ship half the size of the Wasp, and she sometimes wondered if it was worth it. Nelly had acquired a personality, and hanging around with twelve year old Cara made it worse.

"Later Nelly, you can teach Cara when we enter jump point Alpha."

"Fine." If a computer could whine, Nelly was the only one who could do it.

"Have you heard anything from the newsies yet?" Kris asked Penny, her intelligence officer aboard the Wasp.

"You're going to be surprised with this Kris." Penny smiled as she read the news reports on her screen.

"What? Is it some fabrication again that I attempted to murder the first citizen of the Greenfeld alliance?" Kris asked. 'Nelly, can you tell me anything?'

'I'm scanning the various frequencies.' Nelly reported back. 'Oh my Gosh!'

'Nelly, you're spending too much time with Cara.' Kris said to her computer. 'You're a highly complex, self organizing circuitry computer and you're talking like a twelve year old pre teen.'

'Maybe I am.' Nelly replied with playful tone in her voice.

"Nelly!" Kris said loudly, drawing amused glances from the bridge crew.

"Reports are coming in from almost all major media channels." Nelly said loudly for the bridge crew's benefit. "And the news is pretty accurate. Most of the major headlines in the stories say that you saved Henry Peterwald-Smythe the Twelfth's life."

"How are the Wardhaven politicians reacting to that?" Kris asked. "Has my father or grampa Ray released a statement yet?"

"Not yet, but from the rumors I intercepted, King Ray the first looks pretty happy. They're eagerly waiting for us when we get back." Nelly reported.

"They want us docked at Wardhaven in two days." Penny said.

"But we would have to increase our speed to 2.5gs to make it in that time." Kris frowned. "The doc says that the injured marines who are undergoing therapy need a constant 1 g. Those politicians would just have to wait."

"I appreciate that Kris." Jack said as he entered the bridge. He was a former secret service agent that was part of Kris' security detail whenever she visited Wardhaven. Grampa Ray had no control of his granddaughter's movements outside Wardhaven since she was an officer in the United Sentients, and finally he found a suitable solution.

King Ray used his contacts to have Jack enlist back to service so that he could follow Kris around what trouble she went to. He was now a lieutenant of the Wardhaven marines and the commanding officer of the company detachment onboard the Wasp.

"How are they healing?" Kris asked. Before they headed to Greenfeld space to foil a plot to kill Henry Peterwald that would frame Kris and start an interplanetary war, she had just finished on a mission to fight off planet some thugs that had wanted to control the planet for their employer's benefit.

"They're doing fine." Jack said. "Those that had torn muscles and ligaments from bullets are undergoing therapy twice a day."

"And where's Abby?"

"She's with Cara." Jack replied. "You know I think she's enjoying her new job."

Abby was hired by Kris' mother to be her maid, and when she left Wardhaven weeks ago King Ray decided to give her a job as Wardhaven's liaison to the Wasp.

"I think she does." Kris smiled. "She can spend more time with her niece. I still have doubts about having Cara on board though."

"What's wrong with Cara?" Nelly asked.

"What's wrong is this is not a suitable environment for a twelve year old girl, Nelly." Kris replied.

"But I like Cara!" Nelly said.

Kris rolled her eyes and reminded herself to have Nelly get checked with Aunt Truddy once they get back home.

"We already heard this argument before." Jack said. "I'm more concerned about the newsies once you get back. There are still a lot of people who want you dead."

"Don't worry Jack. This isn't some new colony full of thugs." Kris said. "This is Wardhaven, Grampa Ray isn't going to take any chances with my safety."

"I won't take chances either." Abby entered the bridge with Cara in tow. "I want you to wear the full body spider silk stocking. We're close to forging an alliance with Greenfeld, and this mysterious third party that wants a war started between various factions of humanity will not stop until you're dead."

"Are those new orders from Grampa?" Kris asked.

"Yes." Abby said, keeping one eye on her niece. "Commodore McMorisson is sending two cruisers to meet us as we arrive. We have no telling if those private yachts are packing some explosive that could ram us."

"Now who is the one that's acting all paranoid like a Longknife?" Kris grinned.

"I've spent too much time with you." Abby said. "Let's go princess, you need a bath and I won't have your hair looking like a bird's nest."

"Okay." Kris replied. "Captain?"

"Go on, I'll inform you if something happens." Drago replied.

"Jack, can you watch Cara here?" Abby asked. The young girl mentioned looked up and smiled at the Marine Lieutenant.

"Heya Jack!" Cara said.

"Hey squirt." Jack said. "Come on, while the princess and your aunt are busy, you can tell me all about your lessons with Nelly."

"Nelly! She's fun!" Cara said, her large eyes twinkling with mirth.

"I am!" A voice sounded from the ship's comm system. Nelly had obviously jacked into the Ship's systems and was listening to their conversation.

*************

* * *

_The young man took a deep breath as the sounds of joy and excitement erupted from around him. His friends cheered him, while the warriors saluted him as he stood before them, tired, but victorious._

_He looked among the crowd and spotted his close friends and he grinned and waded through the sea of people to reach them. Backslaps, cheers, stolen kisses met him on the way, but finally they reached his two friends who had tears of joy leaking out of their eyes._

"_It's done." He said. _

"_It is." The woman with brown hair agreed. "I never thought we would live beyond this."_

"_I know." He said. "But now, I'm looking forward to enjoying my life, with this burden in my shoulder gone. I'm finally free."_

_He looked among the crowd and saw the hooded figure that had earlier offered to give him the power needed to defeat his nemesis. The powers he received were truly phenomenal, to the point that it had completely overwhelmed Voldemort._

_The hooded figure said that they would ask a favor of him in exchange for his new powers, and he immediately agreed. Their side was losing badly with the death of Dumbledore._

"_Excuse me Hermione, I have a pact to fulfill." Harry said as he moved closer to the hooded figure._

"_Maybe they want the first interview." Ron suggested._

"_Maybe." Harry grinned._

******************

* * *

It had been three days since they had made the jump and Kris was undergoing torture from the hands of Abby, who still insisted that her hair needed a proper washing before she was presented to the media and politicians. They had started receiving information packets from Wardhaven by the hour and it appears that Kris action's had far more reaching consequences than she thought.

Wardhaven and Greenfeld are currently under talks for a joint task force that would patrol the space between them to answer the problems of the pirates that had started to prey on merchant and luxury ships. The Abdicators, a cult some years back that were the mastermind for the latest attack on Hank Peterwald were now under investigation. Three cruisers from Wardhaven and four from Greenfeld were already underway to demand that they surrender their leaders to the joint judicial courts of the two powers.

"It's still a tight fit." Kris muttered as Abby helped her slip into the very tight transparent spider silk stocking before she wore her uniform. She sighed when she looked down at her small breasts as she slipped the transparent armor over her body and smoothed her hands over her hips. It was the one thing that Kris was proud of her body, her thin waist, and she took great care of her figure by exercising regularly. She stood at a tall six feet, a height that made her stand out among the women of Wardhaven.

"Don't worry Kris, they will still grow." Abby assured her. "Besides, you don't know how hard it is to run with large breasts. I bet Vicky Peterwald has the same problems too."

Kris looked at Abby's fuller chest and remembered her last meeting with Vicky Peterwald-Smythe. The busty redhead had confessed that she had a hard time with her fuller breasts, and it always got in the way in the cramp bridge of Greenfeld ships.

"Yeah, she admitted that she found it difficult to move." Kris told her maid the conversation she had with Vicky as she headed back to her own ship.

"See?" Abby said. "Now what do you want to wear when we arrived?"

"I think I'll be the princess this time." Kris said after a moment. Even though she hated using her status, she admitted that it would more suitable to the occasion rather than wearing an unflattering Navy Lieutenant skirt and blouse. By disembarking from the wasp and appearing as the princess, she would draw in more attention that would eventually help the uneasy relationship between Greenfeld and Wardhaven.

"Good, I was hoping you'd say that." Abby smiled and pulled out a red dress from one of the steamer trunks.

"Don't you have something more... modest?" Kris asked, eyeing the material.

"It's the latest fashion in Wardhaven." Abby said. "You mother would be happy if she sees you wearing this."

"Hopefully she would quit pestering me to quit the navy." Kris said as Abby helped her put on the gown. She took Nelly from the table and attached her computer at her waist. She stood to face the mirror and spread out her arms.

"How do I look?"

"Like a princess." Abby said.

"Kris, were about to dock at port 2." Nelly said.

"Thanks Nelly." Kris headed to the bridge to meet with Jack and Captain Drago. They were expected to attend a state dinner tonight, in honor of Kris's actions in preventing a full war between Wardhaven and Greenfeld.

**************

* * *

"Good grief!" Kris breathed a sigh of relief when she entered the space elevator car that would take her down to the planet's surface. "They're mad."

"What do you expect from a Longknife that saved the universe?" Jack grinned as he secured the car.

"They were never that... insistent before." Kris said, looking down at the surface of Wardhaven. It had taken twelve marines from the company attached to the Wasp to clear the way for Kris Longknife and her party to get past the newsies waiting at the station.

Kris, Jack and Penny finally arrived at the surface after 25 minutes inside the space elevator, and as usual Harvey was waiting for her with a few secret service agents.

"Welcome home princess." Harvey grinned proudly.

"It's good to be back." Kris hugged the older man. He had been a constant companion for Kris through her childhood and she thought of Harvey like a father figure more than a driver. The three went inside the large car and Harvey took off amidst the flashes of cameras and lights from video recorders.

"So what's on the agenda for today?" Kris asked.

"Aside from the state dinner? King Ray has asked for a private meeting with you first." Harvey replied.

Kris nodded, though inwardly she was scared of meeting with Granpa Ray. The last time they met, Kris, tired of being sent to various planets by King Ray to resolve developing situations without so much as a heads up, told her granpa that she had enough. She demanded that she choose her own assignments the next time she heads out, under her own terms with her own chosen personnel. That was how Kris acquired a company of Marines, a contingent of scientists (or boffins as they called them) and the latest in weapons technology from Granpa Al, King Ray's estranged son.

"Relax Kris, he isn't mad at you." Harvey said from his driver's seat. "I think he's the one that's scared of meeting you."

Kris nodded and stared out the window. Was it time to patch things up with King Ray? Or would she become like Grampa Al, estranged from the Longknife clan and holed up in his office at Nuu enterprises. The drive to the palace took ten long minutes, at least for everyone except Kris who was busy talking with Nelly. Nelly was talking with Sam, Aunt Tru's own computer that was perhaps the only computer in existence that was more complex than Nelly.

"I am not weaker!" Nelly said, sounding annoyed at the thought that someone was more powerful in computing power than her. "Sam's too uptight for his own good, no sense of adventure at all!"

"Nelly." Kris sighed and shook her head. "I'm sure everyone in this car will agree to that. No one's more advanced than you girl."

Jack, Penny and Harvey all nodded at once, while they hid smiles from Kris.

"Then why do you think that Sam's superior to me?" Nelly asked.

"I just thought that since Sam's been around longer than you..."

"Twenty-two years , six months and two days and four hours."

"Yes that, I just thought since he has more upgrades than you, and existed longer, he would have more experience." Kris tried to sooth her spoiled computer.

"I doubt that." Nelly huffed and Kris was once again surprised at where her computer picked up her unusual vocabulary. "The upgrades you have given me are the latest in self organizing circuitry. Sam may have existed longer, but we are on par I think."

"What does Sam think?" Jack asked, enjoying the banter between Kris and Nelly.

"He thinks that I should treat him and my creator with more respect." Nelly said.

************

"I clearly remember you saying that you never want to meet with me again." Kris said when the door closed behind them.

Ray Longknife, legendary hero from the Itechee Wars and King of the United Sentients alliance looked at his great granddaughter with sad eyes. "I never said that Kris, I said that I didn't want to have that same conversation where we were both arguing. Al doesn't want to talk to me, and I don't want our relationship to suffer more than it has."

"What are you saying Grampa?" Kris asked softly.

"I realized that what I did was wrong. I should have informed you of the situation beforehand and not leave you in the dark just to see how you'd react." Ray said. The great hero of the Itechee war lowered his head."I'm sorry Kris."

*******************

Kris liked visiting Aunt Trudy. She was like her mother, aunt, and grandma all rolled into one package. Every time she visited her aunt, she always received a tight hug from her, and right now she hugged Aunt Tru as tightly as she could.

"Now what was that for?" Tru asked, smiling at the one Longknife she liked and doted on like a daughter. "I almost fractured a rib!"

"I just missed you." Kris grinned. "How's the research on the artifacts from the Three?"

"Progress is painfully slow. We barely scratched the surface of the artifacts from the new worlds you found near Chance." Tru said. Like always she had a freshly baked batch of cookies waiting for Kris, along with some drinks. "How is Nelly doing?"

"I'm doing fine Aunt Tru." Nelly said, causing the old woman to look at Kris with a raised eyebrow.

"That's wonderful Nelly." Tru said. "I'd like to run a diagnostic on you, and I'd also like to see the results from the ancient rock that you have been trying to uncode."

"I have uncoded a section from the artifact." Nelly said. "Kris was able to use the code to open an ancient building in Alien 1. Kris also reported that she had been having strange dreams, though I have detected nothing that has passed between the three buffers I have separating my systems from the artifact."

"What!" Trudy's eyes widened in shock. "Why haven't you reported this? Dreams? Codes?"

Kris smiled and continued chewing on a piece of freshly baked piece of cookie, and after months eating space food this was heaven. "I thought we should keep this under wraps."

"Brilliant." Trudy smiled. "Let's get started with Nelly's analysis right away. And I want every data you have ever since you started having these dreams. They might mean something."

"We have a dinner to attend to, remember?" Kris asked. She laughed when Aunt Trudy pouted like a twelve year old girl that was on her ship.

***************

"Kris Longknife, Princess of Wardhaven!"

Immediately the guests stood up for the guest of honor and Kris' father, the prime minister of Wardhaven led the applause for her daughter.

For the hundredth time, Kris made sure that her dress was not riding down to expose too much of her very exposed cleavage and walked down the hall with as much dignity as she could muster. She felt like a show dog on display, and immediately she spotted more than a few women nudging their sons toward her, perhaps seeking to get a slice of the massive Longknife fortune and fame. Her back felt cold, since the barely there dress plunged down her back that she feared the top of her buttocks would be seen by the scandal hungry newsies.

With Jack as her escort, Kris headed down to the place of honor prepared for her. A quick glance at the gathered guests and Kris immediately realized that even her very daring dress looked far more conservative than she realized. Some of the women wore bits of clothing that would not have been enough to serve as a bandage. She made a mental note to thank Abby for at least considering what modesty she has left.

There she was, mother. Kris fought the grimace trying to form on her face as her mother, wearing the latest fashion in Wardhaven (meaning a very scandalous dress) walked towards her with her father in tow. Hovering around the Prime Minister's wife were a few of her socialite friends, with their eligible sons looking eagerly at her. Kris steeled herself for the long night that was to come.

After a dozen dances, mostly with Jack, her father and great grandfathers, Kris begged off from the line of young men eager to dance with Wardhaven's princess and tried to escape her mother and her socialite friends.

"Kristine dear." She felt her mother's arms intertwine with hers, preventing her from escaping. "I was talking to Genevieve, she has a son about your age. I'm sure you'd love to meet him, he just arrived from a hunting expedition on those barbaric beyond rim planets. Could you entertain young Jeffrey for a few days?"

Kris found it ironic that her Mother called the beyond rim planets barbaric. Wardhaven was called one, when colonization of new planets by Earth was starting to pick up. "I'm sorry mother, but I'll be leaving in a few days."

"Couldn't you quit this Navy business? Haven't you done enough?" Her mother asked, a small frown on her lips. "You have to start thinking about starting a family soon."

"I'm Navy, Mother. We just don't quit on the job." Kris said. She had the same argument with her mother since she was 17, when to Wardhaven's surprise, Kris Longknife signed up for the Navy. It caused quite a stir among the socialites, since they thought Navy life was unbefitting a woman of Kris' breeding. This only justified her decision to join the Navy, since she was fed up of being controlled by her mother, or used as a campaign manager by her father during the elections.

She deftly removed her mother's arm and spotted a group where she knew she could mingle safely. They all wore the red and blues of marines, or the dress whites of the navy and they all mingled in one corner near the buffet table, weary of talking to politicians. Kris couldn't blame them.

"Colonel Hancock." Kris spotted the senior officer she served with in Olympia.

"Princess Longknife." Hancock greeted her with a smile. "What brings you to our corner of the room?"

"That." Kris said as she discreetly pointed at her mother and her friends. They were looking for someone and Kris immediately hid among the bodies of uniformed men and women.

Hancock kindly stepped between Kris and the Socialites, using his wide shoulders and girth to hide Kris's slim frame from their view.

"So what's the whole story on saving Peterwald?"

Kris knew why she liked hanging out with her fellow Navy officers during these types of parties. They were always direct to the point and didn't dance around an issue.

"You've read the full report from Admiral McMorisson." Kris smiled.

"I know." Hancock said. "That's why I was asking you about what really happened."

Kris noticed that more than a few uniformed men and women stopped their discussions and moved closer to both of them. They were obviously eager to learn the whole truth of the latest adventure by a Longknife.

"The report is pretty accurate." Kris said. "The only thing they left out is that the terrorists that hijacked the luxury cruiser for a suicide run are not ordinary thugs or pirates."

"So who is really responsible?" Hancock asked.

"Do you remember those Abdicators some years back?" Kris asked.

"The ones that shouted on the streets that the Aliens were coming to kill us all?" Hancock asked. "Don't tell me they're the one responsible! No one takes them seriously."

"They were." Kris said. "According to Nelly, they all disappeared fifty years back and moved to planets well beyond Human space. The Greater Guides thought that they could hide from the aliens when they come."

"That's stupid." Hancock said. "Is that why a fleet from Greenfeld and a squadron of Wardhaven ships are on their way to Xanadu?"

"That's right." Kris nodded. "Admirals McMorisson and Crossenshield are waiting for the report on the planet."

"That makes more sense." Hancock said. "I doubt that mere pirates were dedicated enough for a suicide run. I fought them for many years Kris, and they don't work that way. The big question is, what do they have to gain by instigating an intergalactic war?"

"That's the big question Colonel."

*************

"_I am deeply sorry, great warr_ior." _The old woman said, bowing at the young man who was trapped in glowing chains._

_The young man growled and his hands erupted with energy, trying to escape from his prison. His green eyes burned with anger at the assembled hooded figures before him._

"_I have done what was expected of me!" The man shouted. "I have enough of war, of suffering. Let me live my life!"_

"_We apologize for the deceit. This is the price." A male stepped forward. "You are needed. We have foreseen a great war and your race will need its finest warrior."_

"_I don't care about some stupid war." The young man said growled. The chains pulsed as they withstood his power but they held._

"_It is necessary." The old woman said_. _She raised her hands and the circle where the young man was held started to glow. The young man continued to struggle before a bright flash of light erupted from the circle, blinding everything in sight._

_

* * *

  
_

"Kris?"

The princess of Wardhaven opened her eyes, breathing hard as she clutched the blanket to her chest. She looked around her surroundings and realized that she was in her old room at the palace.

"I just had one of those dreams Nelly." Kris said.

"Impossible." Nelly scoffed. "I don't understand why I can't detect these dreams. I have checked the three buffers and there is nothing there! Nothing!"

"It's all right Nelly." Kris rubbed her eyes and yawned. "What time is it?"

"It's four thirty-one in the morning."

Kris slowly stood up and felt the cold marble on her feet. "I better get ready, it's not like I can get to sleep again. Alert me if Aunt Trudy is awake, I know she's an early riser."

"Yes Kris." Nelly replied.

Two hours later Kris headed to Aunt Tru's place with Abby, Cara and Jack. The Twelve year old insisted on going with them, pointing out that this would be an extremely educational experience for her and Nelly immediately supported her. Against the persistent arguments by the two, Kris finally caved in.

"So what's the rush?" Abby asked. Cara was sleeping soundly on her lap while Jack continued to watch the road while Harvey smoothly guided the large car down the road.

"Kris had a dream again, and I wasn't able to identify the source." Nelly said.

"Wrong Nelly, we do know that the artifact aunt Trudy placed inside you to analyze is the source, you just can't identify how." Kris said. She tried to remember what her dream was about. It was like trying to catch smoke with her bare hands, the harder she tried to remember the details the more she forgot about the dream.

***************

"I don't understand how this is possible." Tru said, reading the data on Nelly's analysis on the artifact. "I never realized that the artifact posses a wave frequency. I scanned the artifacts surface and ran it through over a thousand simulations..."

"But you never thought of listening to it." Kris finished. "If your tests with Nelly are finished, I'd like to get back to the Wasp and return to Chance. Only my team was successful at exploring the ruins left by the Three."

"I'd like to come." Tru said immediately.

"Auntie? I thought you don't want to go into space again?" Kris asked.

"We're on the verge of making a scientific breakthrough on the Ruins!" Tru said. "You and Nelly have accomplished what no other Scientist has for over eight hundred years, and you think I'll just pass this up?"

"Okay." Kris said. "I'll inform Penny about the new arrangements. How much time do you need to get packed?"

"I'll need three hours at least." Aunt Trudy replied.

"That should be enough time." Kris said. "We'll meet you at the space elevator in four hours."

***************

"Impressive." Tru said when she entered the bridge of the Wasp. "You disguised her very well. What's the model of the reactor?"

"We've got two." Kris grinned. "3300 Westinghouse reactors, with the latest in energy circuitry design."

"Weapons?" Tru asked. Her personal computer Sam, could not penetrate the Ship's internal firewalls and see the Wasp's specifications. Strange.

"Four 24 inch pulse lasers, and a pair of 5 inch long guns." Jack Montoya said.

"Good Lord." Tru chuckled. "It seems that your Al and Nuu enterprises didn't hold anything back. You've got quite a warship here. I assume this equipped with the latest Smart Metal armor?"

"You bet." Kris replied. "Grampa Al is using the Wasp as an experimental platform for Nuu's latest research on the Smart Metal and alloy composites."

"It looks like you are quite prepared for almost anything that's out there. I feel much safer already." Tru said. "You said that there was a contingent of scientists on board?"

"Yes, along with a company of Marines." Kris replied. "Professor mFumbo heads the contingent."

"That old grouch?" Tru asked.

"The one and the same." Kris said. "If you don't mind, you'll be sleeping in a room located at their container."

"That's fine." Tru said. "Let's get underway, the more time we linger here, the more time we waste researching on the Three's left over artifacts!"

Kris smiled and without asking, Abby led Tru towards the scientist's container module while the Princess of Wardhaven headed to the bridge.

"Did you have a nice dinner last night?" Captain Drago asked from his command chair.

"You don't have to ask. I saw you there hiding among the Navy Uniforms." Kris replied as she sat down on the weapons console.

"Can you blame me?" Drago asked. "With the way those Newsies were prowling around for a good scoop, I had to find a nice place to hide. And with the navy tables located near the buffet table was just a bonus for me."

"Let's get underway then, Captain?" Kris asked.

"Engineering, start the engines. Helm, take us out of High Wardhaven."

"Aye Skipper." Sulwan said. He took the controls of the wasp and guided her out of the narrow steel frames that protected the ship from collision with the space station. Various tubes fell off the Wasp and the station master gave her the route to take past the heavy traffic of Wardhaven orbital space.

The Wasp, disguised as a merchant ship with the containers that surrounded its hull, slowly detached from High Wardhaven space station and headed for Wardhaven jum point Beta, following the line of merchant ships headed for the same direction.

"I'm curious why the station master never asked for our clearance orders." Drago said. "I assume you have something to do with that Kris?"

"Admiral McMorisson and Grampa Ray made our mission a top priority." Kris said. "Besides that, we need to make the Wasp look like an authentic merchant trading ship and receiving clearance orders from Wardhaven would ruin that. The ship's name is the Wind Dancer, and we are a merchant ship based in Olympia."

"Wind Dancer, that's a pretty name." Remarked Penny from her comm station.

"Nelly suggested it." Kris replied.

"It's too sissy for my taste." The Skipper grumbled.

***************

_High Chance, Border of Wardhaven Space._

"I sure missed this place." Kris said when the 'Wind Dancer' docked at the orbital station. Unlike the last time she was here, traffic was booming from her discovery of the strange fluctuating jump points that revealed a new part of the galaxy.

Chance was the only planet near these fluctuating jump points, and her economy was now booming. The Helvetica Confederacy, whose borders were also near Chance, was using the planet as a transport point for their exploratory ships. Like all Powers in human space, they were eager to explore the latest series of jump points and the worlds ready for colonization.

"It certainly is different from when we were assigned here." Penny observed. "Will we head down to lower chance?"

"It's your call Captain." Kris said.

"I think we'll head to the new jump point." Captain Drago said. "The crew's restless, and the scientists are all eager to see Alien 1."

"I thought you'd like to stop by the planet for a drink." Kris said.

"That was before Chance became the hub of interplanetary trade." Drago said. "There are too many people from Greenfeld, Helvetica or pirates. I don't want the men drunk and start spilling secrets."

"Good idea." Kris said. "Let's head to the jump point. Nelly, do you still remember the spot?"

"Yes Kris." Nelly replied. "The coordinates are now uploaded to the ship's computer."

"I have it." Sulwan replied from his station.

"Gun the engines. We'll head there at 2.5 Gs." Drago ordered.

"Deploying high g stations." Penny said, instructing the smart metal of the ship to her specifications. Kris suddenly felt her chair become wider and lower to the point that she was almost lying on it. Her console moved above her while the weapons controls appeared by her right hand.

This was essential for the bridge crew, since operating a ship while one weigh three times their body weight was difficult. The other crew members had air bags deployed, to ease their discomfort while on a high speed run.

"How long until we get there?" Kris asked.

"At this speed, twelve hours." Nelly answered. "I am in direct communication with Sam, he asks if we could send images to Trudy's room."

"Go ahead Nelly." Kris said. "Aunt Tru might be bored in her cabin."

*************

_Alien 1, Three Ruins_

"This is the spot Aunt Tru." Kris stopped in front a smooth wall, where vegetation surrounded the massive structure.

"It's massive." The old woman whispered.

"Check this out." Jack raised his M6 forward and shot a bolt of laser on the wall. He immediately touched the wall with his hands were he was supposed to feel the residual heat produced by the energy blast.

"This unknown material immediately dissipates the heat." Truddy observed, touching the wall herself. "This is amazing! Imagine if we could equip this on Wardhaven ships."

"We would be practically become indestructible, except from direct collisions." Kris said.

"You said that you were able to explore inside the ruins?" Tru asked as she stared at the smooth wall.

"Nelly here was the key." Kris said. "We used the same residual frequency from the Santa Maria ruins and played it here. Do your thing Nelly."

"Okay Kris." Nelly said. The computer played the frequency and to Tru's surprise a portion of the wall slowly slid open.

"How's that possible!" Tru exclaimed. "Sam isn't detecting any wiring, or energy fluctuations to power that!"

"We don't have an idea either." Kris said, turning on the lights of her environmental suit.

"I saw a section of the wall suddenly move, without any visible mechanism, primitive or otherwise. No nanos working either." Tru said, running her instruments on the wall. "This should not be possible! What technology were the ancient Three using?"

"Magic?" Gunny, the marine sergeant who was escorting them with a squad suggested.

"There is no such thing as magic." Kris said. "This is just something beyond any technology we have."

"I don't know princess, it seems like magic to me." Gunny grinned. "My old man used to tell stories of magic before humanity took off to the stars."

"Nelly, can you send me the frequency recording?" Tru asked.

"I'm sending it to Sam right now." Nelly said.

With two super smart computers armed with the strange frequency, the team was able to split up and explore more of the ruins. Two hours into the exploration, Tru made an exciting discovery.

"What is it?" Kris asked as she headed to the part of the ruins Tru and Abby were in with a few of the marines.

"As soon as Sam played the frequency, a section of the wall moved. Look at what I found inside."

Kris focused the lights of her suit inside the room and gasped in surprise. Penny followed right behind with Jack and they too were shocked at what they saw.

It was a large tapestry made of some unknown material. Kris had seen a few of these in the homes of her mother's friends, where they bragged that they were authentic medieval tapestries from Earth. This was larger, taking up most of the wall inside the hidden room.

The tapestry itself showed a medieval representation of an event, and the characters in the figure were actually moving.

"Aunt Tru? How can it do that?" Kris asked softly. The tapestry reminded her something she had seen before, but she couldn't place it.

"I am not detecting anything Kris." Nelly answered. "None of my sensors indicate that there is a power source, or Nanos. The tapestry is emitting a frequency similar to what we have used so far."

"I'm not an expert of Earth Medieval History, but I'm not sure that thing in the tapestry actually happened." Abby said. It was a crude two dimensional representation of a man in chains, glowing while a dozen hooded figures surrounded him.

"Maybe it's an artistic piece." Tru said as she touched. "Is your analysis complete Sam?"

"Yes Tru. Carbon scan indicates that the material existed since the late twentieth century." Sam replied. "Tapestry scans shows that it is made of silver, gold and an unknown material that I cannot match with Earth's library of fabrics."

"Nelly, I'm sure I have seen this before." Kris said. "Can you remember any shows or movies that I have watched that is similar to this?"

"No Kris." Nelly said.

"Princess, you must have been dreaming." Gunny chuckled.

Kris frowned and stared at the moving characters in the tapestry, trying to figure out where she had seen the scene before. Suddenly everything snapped in place, and her eyes widened in shock.

"That's it! I've been dreaming about this for the past few weeks!" She exclaimed, drawing incredulous glances from the others.

"Are you sure Kris?" Tru asked.

"I'm sure." Kris said. She had tried to remember these strange dreams whenever she woke up from them, but as soon as she tried to think about them, the images slip away. Now, staring at this strange tapestry, they all came back to her in a rush of images, of memories and emotions.

"Can we take this back?" Abby asked, giving the Tapestry a good tug.

"If we can remove it." Jack said. "It seems stuck at the top end."

"Let's cut it then. I'm sure professor mFumbo and his colleagues will be happy." Kris said.

A few minutes later, two marines were carrying the rolled tapestry on their shoulders after being cut at the top by a laser beam. Kris and Tru spent a few more hours hoping to find hidden rooms, but they finally called it a day after a few hours of fruitless searching.

As expected, mFumbo was eagerly waiting in the nearby camp beside the parked Wasp with a team, eager to get their hands on the strange artifact. When they heard about the discovery from Abby, the scientists or boffins as the marines called them, arranged an array of machines to analyze the artifact.

"Be careful with it." Tru said when they rolled the tapestry on eight large tables that were put together to accommodate its large size.

"Of course we will." mFumbo replied. "This is one of the few artifacts left by the Three that actually has some information. Most of the time, all we found in the ruins of Santa Maria were rocks and that strange disk I gave you. This tapestry is very exciting. "

As the scientists and the crew spent a few minutes staring at the tapestry with shock, they immediately got to work analyzing the fabric. Under the light of the camp, Kris could make out more of the details in the tapestry.

"What do you make of that?" Kris asked Tru as she pointed at the bottom of the tapestry.

"In the greatest of need, awaken Humanity's greatest warrior." Tru read aloud from the tapestry, the letters sewn with gold thread on the fabric. "Strange, it's obviously a cryptic message of some sort. Sam?"

"I am already running several combinations for the letters." Sam replied. "Nothing so far Tru."

"It's pretty." Cara was finally allowed to see the artifact, along with the rest of the marines and crew who were getting bored inside the ship.

"It is." Abby said to her niece.

"How does it move?" The twelve year old asked.

"We haven't figured that out yet." Abby said.

"We will explore the rest of the ruins tomorrow," Kris said.

"Can I come?" Cara asked.

"Sorry sweetie, but it is too dangerous." Kris said.

She smiled when she saw Cara look at Abby for support, but her aunt was in agreement with Kris on the safety issue. Alien 1 had strange creatures and foliage that were potentially lethal, and if it were not for the armor Kris and her marines had they would have suffered severe injuries. Some of the vines were actually alive, and attempted to drag their party by the legs before entangling them with thicker vines lined with thorns.

One unfortunate marine experienced it first hand, and would have died if it were not for her environmental suit.

"I feel bad for him." Cara remarked.

"On whom dear?" Abby asked.

"Him, that man in the picture." The girl pointed at the figure surrounded by twelve hooded figures. "He's trapped by those ugly looking chains."

"Could that be the warrior?" Kris asked.

"Could be." Abby shrugged. "I'm not much of a fan on fantasy though. Legends and myths? I don't have the imagination for those sort of things."

"I do!" Cara said eagerly.

*************

"There's something strange." Penny frowned. She pressed a few more buttons in her wrist computer and shook her head.

"What is it?" Kris asked.

"Something's interfering with the communication channels to Chance." Penny said.

"Nelly?"

"I am experiencing the same thing Kris." The computer replied.

"What about Wardhaven?" Kris asked.

"We are still receiving data packets relayed by the jump buoys" Nelly reported.

"What do you think could be causing the interference?"

"Chance's relays could be under maintenance." Nelly suggested.

"That's possible." Penny said. "Chance has been undergoing several upgrades to accommodate the increased traffic in their system."

"Report this to Wardhaven." Kris said. "We'll continue the survey of the ruins, and after that we'll head back to Chance to see what's happening there."

"Got it Kris." Nelly said.

************

The expedition team had spent two more days exploring the ruins, while Penny continued to investigate Chance's sudden lack of communication. Both yielded negative results and finally Kris and Captain Drago decided to head back to the jump point.

Professor mFumbo and Truddy discovered something hidden in the Tapestry after the two spent countless hours of analyzing every inch of the unknown fabric.

"It's a map." mFumbo said. "Take a look at the background. It's some sort of crude drawing. I couldn't recognize it at first and tried running it through most of the database."

"I don't recognize it either." Kris said. She was amazed at mFumbo's sharp eyes. The background was very hard to see, since her eyes were distracted at the moving figures in the tapestry.

"It's the map of Earth before the sea levels have risen." Tru said. "There used to be fifty percent more land mass before their polar ice caps had risen."

"So what's on the map then?" Kris asked. "Is it like some sort of treasure map with an X that marks the spot?"

"Actually Kris, that's exactly what it is." Tru said. "We believe that whatever is on this map, it will show us a new ruin, and possibly the location of the tomb of this man in the tapestry."

"This could lead us to the remains of one of the Three!" mFumbo said excitedly.

"Let's get to it then." Kris said. "Let's pack everything up, we have to check on chance and see what's wrong with their communications."

****************

"Good Lord." Penny whispered when the Wasp approached Chance. Debris floated around the planet, ruins of the space station, along with the destroyed hulls of various merchant and military ships.

"Battle stations!" Captain Drago punched a series of commands in the console, telling the crew to prepare for the shift of the smart metal. Non essential equipment twisted and were removed, increasing the thickness of the Wasp's hull.

The orbital platform was lifeless, and Kris could see the gaping holes along the structures surface.

"Who did this?" Kris demanded.

"Traces of energy do not match any current weapons." Nelly said. "The Wasp's sensors have detected several life pods, but none of them show any life readings."

"Butchers. Whoever did this shot the life pods like a turkey shoot." Drago muttered. "Nelly, what can you tell us about Chance herself? What has happened to the planet?"

"I am not detecting any traces of activity in the major cities." Nelly said. "It's like the whole planet's dead."

"They could be hiding." Penny said. "I'm detecting faint traces of heat, I'm guessing the survivors are somewhere in the forests or the surrounding hills."

"I'll take an LAC Captain." Kris Longknife said. "I can't risk the Wasp descending into the planet's surface. That would make it easier for whoever is responsible for this to shoot us, and we can't shoot back."

"Call if you need me." Captain Drago said. "Comm, report what happened here to Wardhaven. See if you can contact any Wardhaven ships in the area. I've got as bad feeling about this."

**********

Two Light Aerial Craft, designed for a quick drop from a low orbit ship were prepared in the hangar. They were nearly invisible to sensors or radar, because of their small size and their cross section presented a low profile.

Each could carry a squad and a pilot, and Kris was among the best around. Before her career in the navy, the princess of Wardhaven had spent her youth racing orbital skiffs after much encouragement from Grampa Trouble. She had proved to be an able pilot, able to push her craft to its limits and then some.

"You flying?" Jack asked.

"Of course." Kris said. She had on a size three battle space suit and Nelly was performing systems checks on the suit.

"We will head here." Kris had Nelly project a map into Jack's heads up display, where the Wasp's sensors had showed thermal activity.

"Where's the LS?"

"Here." Kris marked a nearby lake where the LACs could safely land. "Let's get going."

Jack nodded and faced the fourteen men and women of Wardhaven Marines. "Listen up! This will be a quick scouting mission! We're gonna find out who is responsible for this, and when we do, they're gonna pay."

"Ooh RAH!" The marines shouted.

"Get ready!" Kris said. She climbed on board LAC 1's cockpit while the rest of the squad climbed at the passenger area. The hangar bays started to drain air, and fifteen seconds later they were in vacuum.

Kris tested the controls of the LAC, checking as the keel moved as she pushed the control stick of the craft between her legs. It was no racing skiff, but it travelled just as fast.

She wiggled her hips and felt the LAC move according to her body weight, and she nodded in approval. She looked at LAC 2 and saw Gunny give her a thumbs up sign. She closed the cockpit down and she squeezed herself further into her pilot's seat. They were ready.

"Open the drop bays." Kris ordered. "Captain, we're heading out."

"Good luck." She heard Captain Drago's voice in her helmet's speaker. "We'll send a shuttle to pick you up. I'll watch the skies for you. Drago out."

A hatch opened inside the hangar, and Kris saw the blue and green surface of Chance before them. Slowly LAC 1 slid towards the hatch, and Kris waited as the motors in the hangar pushed her craft into space.

The Wasp swooped towards the planet's surface, skimming Chance's atmosphere and at the right moment, the clamps on both LACs unlocked and the two squads shot towards the planet at a steep angle. It was now Kris and Gunny's job to make sure they didn't burn into a crisp.

"Nelly, show our landing sight." Kris said. At that moment, she couldn't communicate with The Wasp or LAC 2 because of the ionization caused by her engines and the superheated air around them. A map appeared in her heads up display and she guided her craft closer to the surface.

Kris piloted LAC 1 in a series of loops and s turns, trying to slow her craft while she bled off more reaction mass and heat generated by the friction of her craft and the atmosphere.

"Prepare for landing marines." Kris said. The LAC dropped closer to the surface, until Kris pulled the controls and the LAC made a quick loop and in the process she approached the landing site at a much gentler angle.

"Corporal Li, how's LAC 2?" Kris asked the marine behind her.

"Gunny's right behind you mam." The corporal replied.

"Good, prepare for landing." Kris said.

A moment later LAC 1 landed on the lake, and a loud hiss was heard as the water cooled down the craft's hull. Kris looked to her tight and saw LAC 2 land fifty feet from her right, and she unbuckled her harness and jumped to the water as LAC 1 collected water.

"Good flying again mam." Corporal Li said. "That was steeper than what I remembered though."

"I had to push it." Kris said. "We have no time to waste Corporal. We need to get to those survivors."

**************

"We didn't see anything." Ron Torn, mayor of Last Chance whispered as he stared into the fire. Around him, a few men and women, whose faces were covered with soot and ash munched on the rations Kris and her marines had brought. "I was out hunting with my family, when I saw the smoke from the city. I tried to contact High Chance but no one there was answering."

"It's destroyed now." Kris said. "No survivors."

"How could this happen?" Ron asked, staring at his hands. "There was a fleet from Helvetica stationed here, along with a few Greenfeld and Wardhaven ships. What could outfight against that many ships and even shoot the life pods? That's inhuman."

"Maybe they are not human." An old woman said. "This reminds me of the old days."

"You couldn't possibly mean what you are talking about, mam." Kris said.

"You look familiar girl." The old woman peered at Kris' face. She took in Kris' six foot height and scratched her cheek.

"Granma, this here is Princess Longknife." Ron said. "Kris, this is my great grandma, Martha Lei."

"Longknife!" Martha exclaimed. "I knew Ray when we fought on the Patton. Are you that Longknife girl that rumors say saved us last year?"

"She is ma." Ron said.

"A Longknife's what we need right now to fight these four eyed freaks." Martha said.

"Mam, are you talking about the Itechee?" Jack asked.

"Of course I am! Do you know any other alien species that has four eyes?" Martha asked. "That's the problem with you young ones, you forgot about the old war, you became soft. Maybe this was will toughen you up."

"What makes you think the Itechee are responsible for this?" Kris asked.

"It's their trademark." Martha said. "They always shoot the life pods, or run over them. That's how I lost my Jim."

"And the traces of energy signature did not match any known human made weapon." Nelly added.

"I need to contact Grampa Ray." Kris said. "Jack, have Captain Drago drop off a container full of supplies for these people."

"Thank you Kris. What will we do for now?" Ron Torn asked.

"Stay away from the cities." Kris said. "By now, ships will be investigating this area, wondering what happened to your planet."

"Do you need any more men?" Ron asked. "If you need anything, it's yours."

"Just stay alive." Kris said. "Try to build bunkers and bomb shelters. If this is indeed an Itechee invasion, your people might need it soon."

"There's one thing that's puzzling me though." Jack said. "Why would the Itechee choose to invade us now?"

****************

"Where to?" Captain Drago asked when Kris entered the bridge.

"What are our options?" Kris asked.

"We could head back to Wardhaven" Drago said. "But that path would likely increase the chances of whatever is responsible for this carnage."

"Some of the old timers at chance thought that the Itechee were the ones who caused this." Jack said.

"That's what I figured when I saw those destroyed life pods." Drago said.

"I have a message coming in from Wardhaven." Penny said.

"Put it on screen." Kris said.

The image of Admiral McMorisson and Grampa Ray appeared on screen, and instead of the usual background of paintings and portraits of previous admirals, it was a battle bridge.

"You can't imagine how relieved I am to see you well." Ray Longknife said. "How are you Kris?"

"I've been better." Kris replied. "Have you read the report I sent you?"

"I did." Raya nodded. "What happened in Chance is not an isolated incident. Several of the frontier planets have reported the same situation. The queens of the Itechee are on the move, and it looks like they finally decided to show their ugly faces. The Wardhaven Battle fleet is assembling as we speak."

"What are our orders?" Kris asked. She wanted to get revenge against those aliens that had slaughtered the people of Chance. The faces of the men, women and children that helped her last year flashed in her mind. She wanted to join that battle fleet and start looking for the Itechee.

Kris was so deep in thought planning her revenge that she failed to see the quick glance Admiral McMorisson and grampa Ray gave each other.

"Captain Drago, what was your original plan after you explored the ruins of Alien 1?" McMorisson asked.

"We were supposed to head to Earth, admiral." Captain Drago said. "The boffins have uncovered a clue from the artifact we recovered, showing the map of Earth."

"And you think this would lead you to the..." King Ray looked back at the report. "Humanity's greatest warrior?"

"Or his tomb." Kris replied. "That isn't important for now. The Wasp is a fast ship, where do you want us?"

"Continue on your mission Kris." Ray Longknife said.

"But Grampa!"

"That's an order lieutenant." King Ray said. "The rim worlds cannot fight the Itechee alone. We need you on Earth to gather support for us while we hold them back."

"Yes sir." Kris said.

"And why don't you continue with that exploration of yours?" Ray suggested. "You might uncover the some useful technology that could be of use to push back this invasion."

"I understand Grampa. How are father and mother?"

"You know them. Your mother has been on all the talk shows this morning, talking about the invasion. I still don't think she believes that this thing's for real."

"And Father?"

"He's hold up in parliament with your brother. Honovi's trying to explain to the Wardhaven alliance that we need their contribution to the war effort."

"It's started?" Kris whispered.

"Yes. There are already skirmishes along the beyond rim worlds. The Greenfeld alliance is sending a task force to help us, and I think it's because of your efforts last month. " Ray smiled. "Your other great grandfather is in the front lines, assessing the combat strength of the Itechee."

"Tell Grampa Trouble to stay safe." Kris said. She was eager to hear more news, but it looked like the conversation was over. Kris saw Admiral McMorisson give a signal with his hand and Ray turned back to the camera. "I have to go Kris."

The screen went blank and Kris noticed that everyone in the bridge was now looking at her.

"Let's head to Earth." Kris said. The bridge crew turned back to their stations while Captain Drago looked thoughtful as he stared at Kris.

"Thank God for you Longknifes." The Skipper said. "Only they could get us out of this mess, and I'll only follow a Longknife to battle, and no one else."

Kris blushed as the bridge crew gave a mighty war cry.

*************

_She looked around as the heavy rains fell on her, soaking her clothes and hair while the cold wind took the warmth from her body._

_Kris shivered and rubbed her arms for warmth, desperate to find shelter from the storm. A nearby tree was hit by a bolt of lightning and Kris rolled to the side as the tree fell on where she had been standing a moment ago._

_She reached a clearing and finally she breathed out a sigh of relief, glad to escape the forest. She looked up and saw a large castle, far larger than anything she had read about or seen in the pictures. It had several large turrets, and its battlements were enormous. Large wooden doors stood at the entrance, it was so massive that Kris knew that the Wasp without the containers attached to her hull, could fly through it._

_She heard a strange tune that suddenly lifted her spirits and made her warm and slowly she saw the great doors open._

**************

"Out of the question Abby." Kris said as her maid and Wardhaven liaison officer held a scandalous blue dress in her hands. "Where did you get that?"

"I always come prepared." Abby said. "This is the latest fashion in Earth, and that order of the wounded lion would be better on this dress than with your navy uniform."

The Order of the Wounded Lion was the highest decoration Earth could give, and Kris received hers when she foiled an attack on the Earth Battle fleet a year ago. Kris was the weapons officer of the Typhoon, a fast attack corvette that was part of Recon six.

She had led a mutiny against her captain, when she realized that he and the other captains of recon six were acting against orders, intent on destroying the lumbering battleships. Upon further investigation by Wardhaven, they had uncovered a plot where a few of the navy officers, tired of Earth influence on the rim worlds, tried to instigate a war on her and the rim worlds.

Kris was glad that she had saved the Earth Battle fleet from destruction, despite their old age, they still had some of the most powerful arsenal in any ship with their colossal eight inch long guns that had stood head to head with the Itechee cruisers.

"Fine." Kris relented. "I still wonder why Earth women are so obsessed with this type of fashion. Every year the styles become bolder, and I won't be surprised if next year they decide to abandon clothes!"

Abby chuckled and continued adjusting the straps on Kris dress. Already Kris felt cold, since the dress was so low cut that one tug at her skirt and her nipples would pop out! The skirts were no better since parts of the skirt was woven from a transparent material, hiding and teasing Kris' most delicate body parts at the same time.

"I feel worse than when I went undercover in New Eden as a hooker." Kris grumbled. "And this shoes are killing me! The Rim is being invaded and I have to dress up to plead for help!"

"Perhaps this will offer you some modesty." Abby placed the sash where the order of the wounded lion was housed on her shoulders, and she fastened the end on Kris' opposite hip with a golden pin. The sash covered part of Kris' cleavage, but she didn't feel any better.

Kris took a deep breath and stepped out of her room, and headed to the walkway where several of Earth's politicians and reporters were eagerly awaiting her.

"I thought Rim humans wore animal skins and fur."

"She looks like a regular earth woman."

Kris rolled her eyes at the ignorance of some of the Earth citizens. Just because she belonged to the Rim worlds does not mean they were uncivilized! This was the major misconception ignorant Earth citizens thought of the Rim worlds, though in truth Wardhaven and even Greenfeld ships were more advanced than the legendary Earth Battle Fleet.

Kris walked with her head held high, her six feet making her stand out, catching the eye of every person in the dock. She was not just representing Wardhaven now, but the other Rim powers.

"Princess Longknife! Is it true that the Itechee are back?"

"What is Wardhaven doing?"

"Is this some elaborate hoax by the Rim worlds?"

Kris stopped when she heard that question and she spun on her heel and faced a pimply faced reporter.

"This is no hoax." Kris said. "My ship had just been to Last Chance, and everything on the planet and in orbit was destroyed. I saw the life pods were shot. Helvetica, Greenfeld and Wardhaven ships in Last Chance are now just scrap metal, courtesy of the Itechee. The Rim Worlds need Earth and the seven sisters for support. "

Kris gave the cowed reporter a withering glare and continued on her walk, her bare leg seen from the slit that rose up to almost her navel.

Jack and Captain Drago followed her down the catwalk, with Penny, Tru and Abby bringing up the rear. The flash from cameras came from both directions as the press and the Earth citizens eagerly looked at the Princess from the Rim worlds.

Kris smiled when she spotted General Ho, commander of all armed forces of Earth waited at the docks, surrounded by politicians eagerly awaiting Kris. Having grown up with a family of war heroes or politicians, Kris knew they all mostly after her popularity, either through an endorsement for their reelection or a photo opportunity.

Then there were the other types of politicians, they were drunk on their power and only wanted what was inside Kris' panties, if she wore one in this dress. She was thankful Jack was with her, he had always kept an eye out for those types of politicians, and usually bailed Kris out when they got too touchy. She tolerated the lecherous grins and the occasional dirty looks, but beyond that Kris would respond, either with her guns or her fists.

The politicians crowded around her as she stepped of the gangway, they were shaking her hand as flashes nearly blinded her.

"Princess Longknife!" Kris heard General Ho's deep bass voice above the noise. "If you will follow me please?"

Kris sighed with relief as the colonels, majors and captains that surrounded the old general physically moved the politicians to the side to make way for Kris and her party to safely pass through. A large car was waiting for her and she immediately jumped in, careful not to give the newsies anything to see under her dress. It wouldn't be proper for a princess, asking for military support, to have her privates displayed at the Earth news channels.

**************

_Earth Military Command, Paris_

General Ho and the Earth Senators watched the aftermath that the Itechee caused in Last Chance. Nelly added the images of the other Rim Worlds that had suffered the same fate, courtesy of Admiral McMorisson and Wardhaven Intelligence Services.

Kris watched as the latest stream of data reached Nelly and she looked at the images of the Wardhaven ships fighting a larger Itechee fleet. This was the first time Kris had seen the alien invaders aside from the recordings and pictures in the library and history classes. The Itechee ship designs seems to have changed little from eighty years back, their organic shaped ships firing the trademark green pulse lasers at the retreating presidential class Wardhaven ships.

"Kris, we have just received this transmission from the Itechee War Queen of this sector." Grampa Trouble said from the screen. Wardhaven scientists have decoded the message to English. General Trouble out."

The image of a large four eyed creature stared at them, and some of the politicians blanched at seeing such a scary face. The military officers reacted better, by the narrowing their eyes and settling their faces into grim masks.

"Humans, surrender now." The digitized voice translated the grunts and clicks made by the War Queen. "We have superior numbers, and we will annihilate your race. There is no peace between us, there is nowhere to run."

The image flickered out and the large picture on the screen flickered out. Immediately the politicians started shouting, arguing amongst themselves for a solution to this crisis.

"We have expanded too quickly!" A senator said. "That was why I have proposed tighter control on the rim worlds, but no one listens to me! Look where we are now!"

"Shut up coward." The senator from Europa said. "Human expansion is unavoidable. The question now is how do we respond?"

"The problem senators is that the Earth Battle fleet, no matter how formidable we are, lack the state of the art technology that the Rim worlds posses. Their smart metal technology and state of the art reactors have surpassed ours." General Ho said. "I ask for the emergency funds to overhaul the first eight of Earth's super cruisers."

"But that would cost too much." A senator remarked.

"There is no time! The Rim worlds are doing everything they can to slow down the Itechee's advance, and you're talking about budgets?" General Ho asked. "Are you even human?"

"That's not what I mean." The senator said, flustered from the scolding he received from a War Hero.

"Senators, what about the Rim? We desperately need your help." Kris stood up as the hundreds of eyes focused on her.

"We will send a fleet of the corvettes to Wardhaven." General Ho said. "Wardhaven is the key planet, since she has the most jump points that lead to the Earth system. Our super cruisers will have to undergo modifications before they join the battle."

"That won't be enough." Kris said.

"I'm afraid I cannot commit the super cruisers, Princess." General Ho said. "Until this point, you presidential class battleships have more chance of holding back against the Itechee than my aging fleet. You just have to hold on."

Kris nodded. She knew the state of the Earth Battle fleet, and she couldn't d much up to this point. Years of budget cuts and corruption had caused the once proud and feared Earth Battle fleet to lie helpless while the Itechee ravage across dozens of human worlds. The Rim worlds had done all that they can to strengthen their military ships, but it was not enough. They were technologically advanced, but no amount of ice armor could withstand a direct hit from a dozen lasers.

"I have done my duty to inform you about the Itechee threat." Kris stood up once the senators filed out. She had rejected more than a few discreet offers of private dinners and adult recreation. "I'll now return to my ship and head back to Wardhaven."

"Princess, I have received instructions from Ray Longknife." General Ho said. "I'm afraid you can't head back to Wardhaven, it's too dangerous."

"Then give me an escort, General." Kris said.

"I can't do that either." The old war hero said. "You're a symbol to us Princess Longknife. A symbol that even against overwhelming odds, we can prevail. I have seen your exploits in Chance and the battle of Wardhaven, and you might not know this but they are widely discussed here."

"General?"

"You're a Longknife, and when the shit hits the fan, people will not panic if there's one Earth."

"Someday General, I hope you can tell me more stories of what my ancestors have done to receive such praise."

General Ho exchanged grins with the other Earth commanders that had personally fought side by side with Ray Longknife or General Trouble. "I'll be glad to, princess, but I think you're cutting yourself short. Look at your own exploits and ask me that again."

Kris shook her head as the Military officers filed past her and into the exit, leaving with the Earth commander assigned to be her guide for the duration of her stay.

"I find one thing that is peculiar with all this." Trudy observed.

"What is it?" Jack asked.

"Technically, Kris is the princess of the Wardhaven and its allies since they voted Ray Longknife as King. Outside Wardhaven space, she's just a regular Navy lieutenant." Tru said.

"And that means what?" Kris asked. She remembered her time in Greenfeld space before she had saved her family's most bitter rival from an assassination attempt. The Greenfeld officers never called her a princess, only a lieutenant, brat or even slut.

"That means that they are honoring you, and they respect you." Tru said. "Now let's head to that dinner General Ho had invited us to. I can't wait to try out that authentic French dinner that your mother always brags about."

*************

The Wasp streaked across the skies as a pair of PT boats escorted her across the English Channel. It seems that General Ho was dead serious about Kris' safety, and he wasn't taking any chances. Kris found his concern for her safety amusing, since she had faced assassination attempts a dozen times and survived and several combat missions where bullets zoomed millimeters over her head.

Kris had defeated six Greenfeld super battleships with only a dozen patrol boats as they attempted to lay waste on Wardhaven. The casualties they had suffered in defense of their homeland while the Wardhaven fleet tried to rush back to help had been severe. Penny had married Kris' long time friend and fellow lieutenant, Tommy Lien. Tom had died in the battle of Wardhaven, saving his wife from death by pushing her to safety. They had been married for a week.

She had commanded an aging battleship, the Patton, and with the Wasp and the merchant ship the Resolute, managed to fight off four Greenfeld cruisers in Chance.

"There it is, Britain." Nelly said excitedly while Cara hovered on Kris' station. The young girl had promised not to touch anything and she was behaving as she promised.

"Can you compare it with the map?" Kris asked.

"Scotland should be visible in ten minutes." Nelly said.

"Land by that lake." mFumbo said. He checked his map again and nodded to Slowan. The helmsman guided the Wasp to a gentle landing while the two smaller patrol boats patrolled the surrounding area.

"Kris, I am getting strange frequencies similar to the one we recorded in the ruins of Santa Maria." Nelly reported.

"Where?" Kris asked.

"It's coming from everywhere." Nelly reported.

Kris and her team explored the lake and the surrounding forests. Everything went fine, until Nelly and Sam pointed out Kris and the other's strange habit.

"Why haven't you covered Grid three?" Nelly asked. "Every time you approach that area, you turn back and find something else to do."

"I never realized." Kris said. She looked at the location of Grid Three and only saw what looks to be an ancient rock quarry that had been abandoned. She moved toward the quarry when she found herself heading back to the ship.

"Kris, you're doing it again." Nelly said.

Kris stopped in her tracks and forced himself to remain where she stood. Something strange was going on.

"What have you got Nelly?" Kris asked.

"I'm detecting a frequency and a strange energy fluctuation a hundred meters in that direction." Nelly reported.

"Do you think that this strange frequency is the one forcing me to turn back? Is it like some sort of protection?" Kris asked. She looked back to her team and noticed that not one, even Jack was looking at her direction.

"That is what I suspected." Nelly answered.

Kris nodded and headed back to her team. "I think I found something."

Ten minutes later Kris headed towards a the direction of Grid three, with Jack, Professor mFumbo, Aunt Tru and a few marines following behind her in a single file. Jack had one hand on Kris' shoulder, and the others followed his actions. Kris discovered that the frequency that Nelly played from the artifact imbedded in her circuitry had an effect that lessened or even negated the feeling of wanting to turn back from grid Three.

Kris led Jack by the hand to the path towards grid three, and she was surprised that Jack was not feeling the similar effects she experienced. When she let go of Jack's hand, the marine lieutenant immediately headed back to the staging grounds, not realizing the effect the frequency had on him.

"Are you sure this is the right path?" Professor mFumbo gasped for breath. They had been walking for five minutes on a slightly steep incline and it was taking its toll on the old scientist.

"I'm positive. The energy fluctuation readings are also getting stronger." Kris said. She had started to feel that she wanted to go back to the ship but Nelly reminded her of her task. She forced herself to continue and started listening to Nelly's voice rather than the feeling she had.

Kris felt Jack's grip on her shoulder tighten and she looked back to see what was wrong. Her party was feeling the same effects that she had, and the only way to counter the strange feeling was to hold on tighter to those that were in front of them.

Kris stepped past what looked to be ruins of an old gate when suddenly the intense feeling she felt a few minutes ago vanished completely.

She hurried forward and saw Jack and the others let out relived breaths.

"Kris, take a look around." Nelly suggested, her voice unusually soft.

"What the hell?!" Kris gasped when she looked at the ruins of a massive castle. Some of its spires and towers still stood, Though Kris could see a section of the wall had collapsed. While the others continued to stare at the ancient castle with open mouths, memories of her dream flashed across her eyes.

"Kris?"

She looked up and saw Tru and Jack looking down on her, and Kris realized that she was sitting on the ground. "I saw this place once. In my dreams."

Tru frowned and sat beside the woman she considered a daughter. "What did you remember in your dream?"

"There was a storm, and I was looking for shelter." Kris said. Her most recent dream was very vivid, and she could remember most of the details unlike the others.

"Then is saw this castle, but it was not like this in my dream. It even had flags on top of the towers." Kris said.

"What happened then?"

"There was this strange tune, and the large doors opened. Then I woke up." Kris looked up to see most of the team was now listening behind Aunt Tru and Jack.

"What did you find out?" Kris asked Professor mFumbo while Jack gave her a hand to pull her up.

"This castle does not exist in any of the historical records." mFumbo said. "Nor does it match any of the pictures of the castles we have on our record."

"And what about the strange effect when we headed here?" Kris asked.

"Our sensors have identified the source to be somewhere deep inside the structure." mFumbo said. "There also appears to be a strong electromagnetic field in the area. While this is of no concern to our equipment, the field could weaken the lifespan of the nanos we will send to investigate the ruins.

"I don't care." Kris said. "Do what you have to, but we must open that door. Have you tried to shoot the door? It looks like wood."

"We haven't." Jack said. HE nodded to gunny and the marine sergeant fired several rounds from his M-6. The bullets whizzed past the air and slammed on the door, destroying the vegetation and vines that had crawled up its surface. Once the dust settled the wooden doors still stood, unmarred or even singed by the laser bolt.

"That's impossible." Gunny muttered. He immediately walked towards the door and touched the spot where the bullets connected. "There's no holes, or even residual heat mam. It's like the ruins in Alien 1."

"Let's get the rest of the team back here. I want..."

"Kris, I am detecting an anomaly in the artifact inside my circuits." Nelly said.

"What's happening Nelly?" Kris asked. "Eject the artifact if it's damaging your systems!"

A small slit appeared on Nelly's shell and suddenly a coin sized disk was spar out from the computer. "I have not detected any damage in my circuits, but the strange energy that the artifact started to generate had overrun my buffers. If I did not stop it, it could have reached you."

"What can you tell of the energy signature?" Tru asked.

"It has the same frequency like the ruins we found in Santa Maria, Alien 1 and with this castle." Nelly said.

Kris nodded and picked up the strange artifact the size of a Wardhaven Dollar coin that had rolled down by her feet. She heard Nelly shout out a warning but it was too late, the moment her finger made contact with the artifact, light erupted from inside the castle, throwing off beams of light from the windows around the structure.

Kris heard a loud rumble while and then a powerful shockwave erupted from the castles, knocking everyone flat on their backs.

A minute later as the dust began to settle Kris heard shouts from the rest of the marines and crew of the Wasp that they had left down the hill. Kris slowly stood up and helped Aunt Tru stand up while Gunny and Jack looked around, ready for an attack.

"I told you not to touch it." Nelly said. "The energies I detected was trying to reach you, it was trying to reach the buffers I had set up to protect your consciousness from my systems."

"It's too late." Kris coughed. She wiped the dust from her face and shoulders and looked around. In the distance she could see a squad of marines running towards them at full sprint, their m6s at the ready.

"It's all right." Kris said. "It was just an accident."

"What happened princess?" Captain Drago asked. He had his side arm with him, while his eyes looked for any type of threat.

"There was some strange energy blast." Kris said. "How did you get here anyway?"

"We ran." Drago said. "Whatever it is that you experienced going up here seems to have vanished with that explosion. Suddenly, instead of an old quarry we saw this ancient castle."

"We're just about to investigate the grounds." Kris said. "Is anyone hurt?"

"Everyone's fine." Jack said. "Gunny just got banged up, but he's tough."

"Kris! The doors have opened!" Tru said, pointing to the castle.

"I am getting strange energy frequencies from inside the castle and the artifact." Nelly reported.

Kris looked at the artifact in her fingers. It was glowing softly, but cold to the touch. "Nelly send a few nanos through that door, I want to see what's inside before we go in."

Kris and the rest of the Wasp's crew waited until the nanos had made a thorough investigation of the ruins. Ten minutes later, Nelly finally gave her report.

"A few of the nanos have unexpectedly shut down." Nelly reported. "Their exposed nano circuitry did not withstand the electromagnetic field."

"Is it safe to go in?" Kris asked.

"As far as I can tell. There are strange energy frequencies from all over the ruins, and a strong one in the large chamber."

"Let's go marines." Kris said.

The marine company divided into squads and formed a perimeter, with Kris at the center. They slowly went inside the ruins, with M-6s ready to stitch anything considered a threat. They moved towards the chamber that Nelly had reported having the most energy intensity and entered what appears to be the largest room they had ever seen.

"That's big." Jack whistled. "Part of the roof has collapsed though."

"It's still an impressive feat of engineering." mFumbo said as he read the results from his scans. "I analyzed the structure of the building. Whoever built this place must be a genius or he doesn't understand the laws of physics!"

"What do you mean?" Tru asked.

"Look at the roof." mFumbo said. "It's far too large for these walls to support it. I don't even see counter weights or anything, and the roof is not made of a shape I know that could distribute the stress of the structure! I'm amazed that it hasn't collapsed!"

"Princess, something's up ahead." The lead Marine, Sergeant Bruce said. His squad was busy removing cobwebs so that the rest of the crew could walk in unhindered.

"Gross." Penny shivered when a stray piece of cobweb tickled her cheek. "I don't like spiders."

"Don't worry Lieutenant Lien." mFumbo said. "Spiders in this part of Earth are not that dangerous compared to the other regions. If you see one that's... Holy mother of God!"

A large spider, the size of a coffee table suddenly leaped towards the Professor and if it were not for the marines with them, he would have suffered severe bite marks on his face.

"Switch to bullets!" Gunny shouted, flicking his M-6 from sleeping darts to the lethal ammunition. "Defensive perimeter!"

Kris as was her nature moved at the front, shooting down the giant spiders that had suddenly come from nowhere.

"Nelly, I thought the place was safe!" Kris shouted. She reloaded her magazine and aimed at a spider that was trying to grab Gunny.

"It was! The nanos reported no activity!" Nelly said.

"Then where did these things come from?" Kris shouted. A few more spiders got stitched and the rest, realizing that their prey was difficult to capture, decided to retreat.

"I've never seen spiders this big before." mFumbo said as he peered closer to a twitching spider. "Look at the size of those fangs!"

"The web strands made by these spiders are unusually strong." Tru said, examining a strand. "Sam, have you analyzed its composition?"

"It has an unnaturally organized web of carbon molecules and an unknown matter." Sam said. "It's even stronger than the synthetic fibers we use for armor."

"Imagine if we could use this for the full body stockings!" Jack said. "This could stop a bullet from point blank range!"

"Sergeant Bruce, you said something's ahead?" Kris asked.

"Yes mam." Bruce said. "It appears to be glowing."

"On your toes marines." Jack said. The group walked slowly towards the middle of the large chamber, cutting down overgrown vines or super strong spider strands that mFumbo and his scientist collected.

"This is amazing!" mFumbo said. Kris guessed that the scientist from Wardhaven was fully satisfied and happy with his decision to join her crew. Early on when Kris was chasing pirates, mFumbo complained to no end that they were just 'wasting time and they should head to Alien1 for some real science'.

"This species of Fauna and the spider are new discoveries!" mFumbo said. "Do you think they are native to where the Three's home world?"

"You could ask him." Jack said.

Kris followed Jack's gaze and her eyes widened with shock. Amidst the ruins of the collapsed roof was a strange structure, slightly glowing and transparent. To Kris, it looked like a large crystal, several times the size of the crystals she used to dig at the crystal caves in Wardhaven. Inside the large crystal was a figure of what looked like a man, with his hands chained to the ground.

"This is astonishing." mFumbo whispered. "I can't remember any mummification methods in any historical records."

"Look at the designs carved on the crystal's surface." Tru said. "Sam, do this match any known earth language?"

"Nothing in the registered language database Tru." Sam said. "But I have a match with some of the symbols with the artifacts in Earth's museums, some of them match."

"This is clear proof that the Three had visited Earth before the age of space exploration." mFumbo declared. "Their mummification methods are amazing! I don't see any decay on the body."

"I don't think he's dead." Kris said. She couldn't tear her eyes from the face of what looked to be a young man, whose eyes were closed. "This was the strange being that she had been dreaming about for the past few weeks."

"Do you think that tapestry is telling the truth?" Penny asked. "Could this be the warrior it described?"

"It's very possible." Truddy said. "How could he be alive though? My sensors tell me that the crystal is not even below the freezing point. Nothing could preserve a live human without cryogenic freezing."

"He might be one of the ancient Three." mFumbo speculated.

Kris walked closer to the crystal, as if drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Her fingers traced the carved symbols on the crystal's surface while the disk artifact pulsed in her other hand. She felt a rectangular hole in the crystal and she realized that the artifact in her hand could fit perfectly in the slot. True to her bloodline and name, Kris Longknife plunged into the unknown and inserted the artifact into the slot.

Kris felt the earth shake beneath her feet while strong hands grabbed her shoulders and pulled her away from the large crystal.

"What's happening?" Professor mFumbo shouted. The old scientist ducked as more pieces of debris fell on their heads.

Kris heard loud cracks and saw the crystal from stress lines along its surface. "I think I did something stupid!" Kris shouted.

"It's breaking apart!" Jack shouted while he continued to hold the stubborn Wardhaven princess to the ground. Pieces of the crystal fell on their hair and shoulders and they all watched as the large crystal structure break apart.

"Good God." Tru whispered. They could clearly see the rise and fall of his chest as he started breathing.

"Whoever that is, he's alive!" Gunny said. "Marines! Sleeping darts on the ready!"

Squad two and three immediately raised their M6s and pointed it at the newly freed being.

"Don't hurt him!" Kris shouted. If this was a member of the ancient Three that built the interstellar jump points, his knowledge could be of help to them.

Then everything suddenly went quiet and Kris could feel her heavy breathing and the beat of her heart, pounding furiously from the fear and excitement she felt. They could clearly see what looked to be a young man in strange robes. They heard a loud inhale of breath and they all gasped when he took a small step forward.

"He's waking up!" Penny whispered, but in the quiet of the chamber her voice could be clearly heard.

Then the young man raised his arms and the silver chains that were attached to his wrists cracked and burst into a million pieces. The young man opened his eyes, and they glowed with an eerie light that even the bravest of the marines felt like running to safety.

That was enough for one of the newly recruited marines to fire and she sent four sleeping darts to the newly awakened being. The others followed soon, and soon a hail of darts headed to the newly awakened being.

To everyone's amazement, the young man swept his hand and all the darts along with the marines nearest him crashed to the wall, as if pushed by an invisible large hand.

"That's it!" Gunny shouted and ordered the rest of the marines to open fire, seeing that some of his troops were attacked.

The man moved his other hand and immediately the darts crashed to the other wall, along with squad four and five. Seeing that their attacks were ineffective, Jack ordered a cease fire.

The group fell back as the young man moved closer to them, when his eyes stopped glowing and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

Everyone remained still, as if the slightest noise could wake him up, until finally Kris walked slowly towards the unconscious body, while her marines closely walked beside her.

Kris knelt down, and she realized that her hands still shook from nervousness and excitement. She turned the young man on his back and saw a fairly youthful face. HE could pass for a regular human, Kris thought. She felt for a pulse in his neck and looked back at her guards.

"He has a pulse, whoever he is." Kris said. "He's unconscious."

"What is he?" Gunny asked, his M6 still aimed at the being that disabled half his company with ease.

"He looks like a human." Kris said. "Professor?"

"All scans indicate that he's just a regular human. Heart, Lungs, everything's the same." Professor mFumbo said. "How is this possible? How could he still be alive?"

"We just have to wait for him to wake up." Kris said. "Get a stretcher, let's bring him outside. This castle might collapse on our heads in any minute after that earthquake."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Jack asked. "He attacked us. We don't know what he's capable of."

"I'm beginning to think that the tapestry we found in Alien 1 was telling us the truth." Kris muttered. "Seeing what he did to the Marine Company, we could use his talents."

"You heard the Princess." Gunny said. "Get going! You okay corporal?"

The corporal who was part of the first two squads that hit the wall nodded. "I'm fine sergeant. I might feel some bruises tomorrow, but nothing's broken."

"What happened out there?"

"One minute I was trying to empty my clip at him, and then I felt something hit me hard, enough that me and my squad hit the wall." Corporal Li said. "I don't understand how's that possible sarge. What is he?"

"That's what the boffins and the Princess is going to find out." Gunny replied. "If your men are all right, get to the doc to have your bruises check. Tell squad six to stay close to the princess."

"Got it Sarge," Corporal Li said.

*****************

"Is this all necessary?" Kris sighed as a squad of Marines lined up beside her. She had decided to visit the young man in the mobile medic bay that the marine medic had set up. The young man was lying on the bed, sleeping soundly from the snores she heard.

"Yes mam." Corporal Li saluted her.

"Fine, but don't disturb me when I talk to him." Kris said.

"What is he mam?"

"From what the doc says, he's a human like us."

"Really? From what he could do, he sure doesn't look like a human to me. Maybe he's one of the Three?"

"We don't know for now." Kris said. She entered the medical bay and found the young man comfortably sleeping on an air mattress. The marine medic and Professor mFumbo along with one of his assistants was closely monitoring the results of their full body medical scans.

"Why isn't he being treated?" Kris asked.

"As far as I can tell, nothing's wrong with him, aside from signs of exhaustion." The doc replied. "His pulse, breathing, respiration, he's as normal as you and me."

"And why is he still in these robes?" Kris asked. "He should be wearing a medical gown by now."

"We don't want to do anything to wake him up." The doc admitted.

Kris rolled her eyes and looked back as Jack, Truddy and Captain Drago entered the tent. "What are you all doing here?"

"We're curious of course." Truddy replied.

"Abby wanted to come, but once Cara heard of the news, she had to stay behind and watch her." Jack reported.

"And Penny?"

"She's doing as you ordered. She told Earth command that we're just exploring some old ruins of the Three, but there are no significant discoveries, yet." Jack replied.

"Kris, he's waking up." Tru pointed out.

"Go on back away." Kris whispered. She hurried beside the young man's bed and raised her hands, palm up in a non threatening manner.

She heard a groan and observed the young man carefully. He blinked a couple of times and stretched, revealing green eyes and a faint scar on his forehead. The young man focused his eyes on her and a frown crossed his face.

"Who the fuck are you?"

Kris leaned back, surprised at how she was addressed. She heard a few chuckles in the marines and gave them a glare that quickly shut them up.

"I'm Kris. You can understand English?"

"Of course I could. We won't be having this conversation if I couldn't." The young man rolled his eyes and slowly sat up. To his surprise the bed moved with and he leaned back on it.

"What's your name?" Kris asked kindly. "And how were you able to do what you did earlier?"

The young man didn't reply and only looked around the room, and eyeing the medical equipment beside his bed with interest.

"So, those bastards really did it." He muttered. "I can't believe it, when I get my hands on those stuck up pricks I'll shove their prophecies where the sun don't shine."

By now, several rumors were circulating around the camp about their new guest. Some thought he was a member of the Ancient Three, while others thought he was an alien being, and the few of the religious members of the crew thought he was a prophet, or even an angel sent by God.

The marines stationed inside the medical bay heard all these rumors, and had stared at the unconscious guest with reverence or awe. What they didn't expect was that the young man swearing like a shit storm, and in front of Princess Longknife no less! He was even worse than Gunny!

"Excuse me?" Kris asked, surprised at his vocabulary.

"Nothing." The young man said. "What's your name again?"

"I'm Kristine Longknife, Princess of Wardhaven and..."

"Never heard of Wardhaven before." The young man interrupted her.

"You really should learn some manners." Kris said, beginning to lose her patience.

"Yeah, my friend always told me that I picked up too many things from Ron." The young man said. "Do you have any food here?"

Kris looked taken aback by what he said, but she glanced at the doc who nodded. "I'll have someone bring something. Can you please tell me your name?"

"It's Harry." The young man said. "So you're a princess huh? You don't look like a princess."

"She is!" Nelly said.

"Who is that?" Harry asked suddenly.

"This is Nelly, my personal computer." Kris said as she tapped Nelly's case that was around her neck.

"Wow, it's like Star Trek." Harry said, staring at Nelly. "Beam me up Scotty!"

"You watch that classic show too?" Corporal Li asked. Kris looked back and remembered that the corporal was the one who remarked that the fast attack corvette Typhoon looked like a Klinger Bird of a something.

"Classic?" Harry asked, staring at the corporal. "Right, future." He closed his eyes and groaned.

Seeing that Harry was not at all acting like a hostile alien, mFumbo and Tru stepped forward beside Kris.

"Our scans indicated that you belong sometime in the late twentieth century." mFumbo said. "Do you know how you came to be here?"

"That's about right." Harry said, looking at the old man that strangely resembled Arthur Weasley without the red hair. "The last I remember, it was 1999 and I was getting ready for a ceremony."

"Good lord, you're almost 500 years old!" mFumbo declared.

"I've been asleep that long?" Harry asked.

"You are." Kris said. "How did you become imprisoned there?"

"It's simple." Harry said as his fists clenched with frustration and anger. "Because I'm Fate's bitch, that's why."

"Kris, for Humanity's greatest warrior, he's not really impressive." Nelly observed.

"Hush Nelly." Kris said.

"Who said that crap?" Harry asked.

"Nelly, project an image of the tapestry." Kris ordered.

Harry's expression darkened when he saw the Tapestry and after a few moments he looked away. "Who ever made that, I'll kill them. Who do they think they are, dictating my life?"

"You were imprisoned against your will." Kris said softly.

Harry nodded and as he stared at his hands. "I was. How did you know?"

"I dreamed about what happened to you." Kris said.

"Don't tell me you're a seer." Harry said. "I have enough of those types of people."

"Seer? Do you mean prophets?" Kris asked. "I don't think so."

"They're the same thing." Harry said.

"How did you disable my marines like that?" Kris asked.

Harry remembered the projectiles headed for him and looked at Kris, studying her face to see if she was telling the truth.

Kris felt like her thoughts were being read, like she was being judged and looked away, unable to hold his gaze.

"I can't, it's a secret." Harry replied. "Now where's the food you promised?"

Kris quelled the feeling of irritation bubbling within her. This Harry was hard to talk to. "It's on its way. I think I'll have a late lunch with you."

*************

"This tastes like shit." Harry declared after taking one bite of the grub Kris served.

"I'm sorry, but it's what we can come up in such short notice. It's filled with the necessary nutrients your body needs." Kris said. "If you can wait longer, dinner will be served in two hours. Until then, this is all we have."

"For a first meal after hundreds of years, this sucks." Harry said."Don't you have any restaurants near this area?"

"I heard of a good restaurant in Paris." Kris said. "But I haven't been to that place. This is my first time in Earth."

"Do you have a map?" Harry asked.

"Nelly, project a printout of the restaurant."Kris said.

Harry studied the hologram and shook his head. He couldn't recognize any land marks. A tall structure caught his eye, and recognized the shape of the Eiffel tower. Maybe this could work, and he needed some real food in him.

"What's the currency used these days?" Harry asked.

"In this part of Human space, we use the earth dollar." Kris explained. "Mostly we transact using our personal computers."

"Right, you're coming with me, since I don't have any money." Harry said. He looked at his clothes and frowned, it wouldn't do to stand out in the future. A moment later his robes shortened and flowed to a simple white shirt and jeans.

"How do I look?" Harry asked.

"How the hell did you do that!" Kris shouted. The marines outside the door heard the commotion and started to open the door. Harry frowned and with a wave of his hand, the door sealed shut.

"How do I look?" Harry asked again. "Will I stand out in this?"

"Not really." Kris said, her eyes wide while Nelly once again started to freak out with what she saw.

"Hmm, maybe a jacket would be nice."

Kris watched as the pillow morphed into a gray jacket and she quickly jumped back and drew her side arm that was hidden in her waist.

"Hey, none of that." Harry frowned and with a snap of his fingers, Kris' pistol flew out of her grip. She jumped to catch her gun, but it travelled to fast towards Harry.

"I won't hurt you." Harry said as he caught the gun. "Now grab my arm, were going to eat some real food!"

"Grab your what?" Kris shrieked. Behind her she could hear the muffled shouts and cursing of her marines.

Harry lost his patience and grabbed Kris' elbow, and a moment later she felt a tight sensation coursing through her body, like the life was being squeezed out of her.

She looked around and suddenly found herself in a totally different location with Harry standing beside her.

"How the hell did you do that?" Kris asked.

"Kris! We're in Paris!" Nelly said.

"Like I said, I'm hungry." Harry said. "Lead the way to that restaurant, uhmm Nelly."

"Nelly, inform Sam where we are." Kris said. She realized that she was quite powerless against this young man who had strange powers. "Tell them we'll be back in an hour."

"Make it two hours, I want to look around after eating." Harry said.

"Why would you do that?" Kris asked.

"I want to see if humanity's worth saving." Harry said, not looking back at her confused face.

*************

"Are you sure you're fine?"

"Yes Jack. I'm eating dessert right now." Kris said. Her ex-bodyguard and Marine lieutenant of Wardhaven was very agitated when Kris was kidnapped while under his nose. Jack Montoya was about to launch a rescue mission when Kris called back to assure the crew of the Wasp that she was fine.

Harry was finishing his ice cream while he continued to watch the screen where images of the battles between the Rim Worlds and the Itechee were being played out.

"You're pretty famous." Harry said. "I heard your name about a dozen times."

"I came from a famous family." Kris explained about her two great grandfathers, War Heroes in the first Itechee War.

"They're still alive?" Harry asked.

"Genetic engineering has come a long way." Kris said. "Humans now have a life span of up to two hundred fifty years."

"So how old are you?" Harry asked. "Fifty?"

"Stop laughing Nelly!" Kris muttered. She looked back at her kidnapper and frowned at him. "I'm twenty two."

"Wow, you're older than I am by a year." Harry remarked.

Kris asked Nelly to mentally file that detail. Harry was very vague about his past, and it was confusing because she couldn't research on his background with Nelly. Usually every assassin, politician or pirate always leaves an electronic trail that Nelly could find in seconds.

"I need to look around more." Harry said as they walked down the street. "I'll see if the old places are still up."

"But you can't." Kris said. "We need you..."

"Catch." Harry tossed her a golden coin, and once Kris caught it, she felt a tug on her navel and she vanished from the street.

***************

"OOFFFF!"

Kris slammed face first into the floor of the medical bay, and she slowly looked around to get her bearings.

"Kris!" Tru ran towards her and helped her to her feet. "Sam, tell everyone that Kris is back."

A minute later footsteps were heard and the door to the medical bay opened, revealing a worried looking Jack, Penny, Captain Drago and Abby.

"Thank God." Captain Drago said. "I don't know how I would explain to King Ray that you got kidnapped."

"What happened Kris? Where is he?" Tru asked.

"We went to dinner in the Louvre" Kris said. "I don't know how, but one moment I was here, then the next I was in Paris!"

"How did you get back?" Jack asked.

"He tossed me a coin, and the second I touched it, I was here." Kris said. She was shaken by what happened, but she couldn't show her fear to her men. She was a Longknife, she couldn't freak out now.

"What the hell is he?" Penny asked.

"I don't know, but I swear I'll find him." Jack muttered. "And when I get my hands on him..."

"What can you do against a man who has powers like his?" Kris asked.

She finally understood the full meaning of the tapestry and its cryptic message. Harry was indeed humanity's greatest warrior, and with his powers, he could greatly help against the escalating war.

Jack didn't have anything to answer Kris and he only growled and folded his arms.

*************

"It's hopeless." Truddy said. "He has no record, electronic or otherwise."

"There has to be some way." Kris said.

"I'm sorry Kris." Nelly said. "I am monitoring all news feeds. Nothing has appeared that is related to him so far."

"And if has the ability to appear anywhere he wants in a split second, he'll be harder to catch." Jack added.

"Call me if you find anything." Kris said. "I need to take a bath."

Kris walked back to her room, her posture hunched over as a mark of her failure. She had been so close, but in the end he slipped from her fingers.

************

"General, couldn't we help at least." Kris asked. "The Wasp is fully equipped to fight off these bastards."

"Stay where you are princess." General Ho said. "The defense fleet is engaging that Itechee carrier as we speak."

"Have you heard any news from Wardhaven?" Kris asked.

"It's a stalemate right now." General Ho replied. "They've been able to stop the invasion in the Paris system with the arrival of the Greenfeld fleet."

"I understand. Longknife out."

Kris looked back at Captain Drago and Penny who were busy watching the battle above Earth's orbit. An Itechee carrier was able to slip past the Wardhaven blockade and had managed to creep to Earth. Incompetent men in the asteroid watch posts were caught with their skirts down and their warning came too late.

The Itechee carrier was slowly being pushed back by the arrival of the Defense fleet that was stationed in the moon, but not before it was able to launch its fifty fighter bombers that were now wreaking havoc across the planet.

The small PT boats, agile attack fighters with a crew of seven now chased the Itechee fighters across the atmosphere while the Wasp, still stationed in Britain, looked on.

"Captain, I have detected two Itechee enemy craft approaching London." Penny said.

"Where are those damn PT boats?" Drago asked.

"One is tailing them, but at this rate, it's going to be able to fire its lasers on the city before it gets chased out." Penny said.

"Let's take head them off." Kris said.

"But General Ho..."

"When has a Longknife followed orders?" Kris asked. "He said for the Wasp to stay where we are, and if an enemy ship is coming towards us, we have a right to defend ourselves. What is he going to do? Arrest me?"

"Right." Drago said. "Drop the containers for now. This is an atmospheric chase, we don't need drag slowing the Wasp."

"Helm set for an intercept course."

"Aye Captain." Slowan said.

***********

"Damn they are quick." Kris said as she tried to lock on the Itechee fighter while the other PT boat harassed the other. "Nelly, do you have a pattern on their jinxing maneuvers?"

"Working on it." Nelly said.

The Wasp chased down the much smaller Itechee fighter like a menacing bird of prey, and they had managed to bully the Itechee craft away from London.

Kris read Nelly's predictions and aimed her pulse lasers to the left of the Itechee. The Wasp fired four 24 inch pulse lasers and two connected and hit the enemy fighter's engines.

"Good shooting." Captain Drago said. "Helm, turn the Wasp around and see if we could help that PT boat with the other one."

"Sir, The Itechee fighter is making a run for London. It managed to shake the PT boat off its tail."

"It's like what Grampa said in his stories." Kris said. "The Itechee do not care if they will survive, as long as they kill enough humans when they die."

"How long until it reached within firing range of London?" Drago asked.

"45 seconds sir." Penny said. "I don't think we'll make it in time, it will be able to get a shot before we reach it."

"Can the 5 inch guns get a bead on it?"

"It's hugging the land sir, using the valleys and hills as a cover." Penny said.

"This won't be pretty. A lot of people are going to die down there." Captain Drago said.

The Wasp's sensors locked on the small fighter and images of the circular ship appeared on the screen.

"It's charging its weapons." Penny said.

Kris and the bridge crew prepared for the aftermath of destruction in London caused by the cowardly attack by the Itechee fighter when suddenly a red blast of energy erupted from the ground and hit the Itechee fighter, destroying it in seconds.

"What the hell? What weapon caused that?" Captain Drago asked.

Kris frowned and analyzed her console to see any residual energy that showed where that powerful blast came from.

"I have no idea Skipper." Kris said.

"Captain, there's something ahead." Slowan said.

"Another enemy fighter?"

"No, something much smaller." Slowan said. "I'll put it on screen."

Kris stopped her work to recharge the lasers when she saw the floating figure of Harry, the person she had spent a week to find. It was not supposed to be possible, but there he was, in a simple white shirt and jeans, floating a mile above the city.

The Wasp was still travelling at a subsonic speed and soon passed over the city, and the image of Harry on the screen disappeared.

"I'm tired of saying this." Captain Drago muttered. "But how the hell did he do that?"

"Holy fuck." Penny said. "Did you see what he did? Maybe he is a god, or an ancient Three."

"I'm just Harry."

Kris shrieked when suddenly Harry was standing behind her, looking over her shoulder at the console. "Nice ship Kris."

************


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Nice ship Kris."

The princess of Wardhaven yelped and tried to remove her pistol from her holster while the rest of the bridge crew looked on in disbelief at the young man standing behind Kris.

"None of that." Harry frowned and the pistol in Kris' hands flew to his hand.

"Did you just... did you just vaporize that Itechee fighter?" Captain Drago managed to ask through his shock.

"That's the Itechee right?" Harry asked Kris, ignoring the captain of the Wasp's question.

Kris nodded after she took a moment to regain her composure. It was not every day that a flying man that vaporized an Itechee fighter would suddenly appear behind her weapons station. "Yes, that was an Itechee fighter that was about to take a shot at commercial London. You destroyed it. By yourself."

The Wasp Bridge crew seemingly realized that the powerful being they freed a week ago saved thousands of lives by shooting energy from his bare hands.

"How did you do that?" Kris asked. She did not want to antagonize Harry, seeing that he could probably destroy the Wasp on a whim, and taking her life and her crew's.

"It's a secret." Harry grinned. He stood up and observed the rest of the bridge, while the rest of the crew kept on sneaking glances at him.

The door to the bridge opened and a squad of marines in full battle armor stormed in, their M6s tucked under their arm. The six marines and Jack spotted Harry standing beside Kris and aimed their guns at him.

"Freeze!" Jack shouted. He aimed his M-6 at Harry and prepared to shoot him with a round of knock out dart.

"No don't!" Kris shouted but it was too late.

Harry raised his arms and the seven M6s, along with their owners' hands were suddenly encased in blocks of ice. The marines fell to their knees, unable to support the added weight to their guns.

"What the hell?" Gunny asked while the rest of the marine guard tried to move their fingers to no avail.

"Sarge!" One female marine panicked and continued to struggle with the block of ice encasing her hands up to her elbows.

"Shoot me again will you?" Harry asked. "What shall I `freeze' next?"

"Enough!" Kris shouted as she bravely walked between Harry and the marines. Her fruitless week long search for Harry had battered down her patience and she was now seething with anger. It was her Longknife temper again, as her grampa Ray called it, and it usually served her well in face of stubborn and hard headed subordinates.

"Jack!" Kris rounded on the marine lieutenant that was still kneeling on the bridge floor. "Didn't you learn anything from last week? When I tell you to stop, you stop, damnit!"

Jack nodded as he was scolded by the princess of Wardhaven while the rest of the bridge crew watched the two with wide eyes.

"Should princesses talk like that?"

Kris turned to voice narrowed her eyes when she saw Harry pushing a couple of buttons in her weapons console. Thankfully Nelly had the foresight to lock the station when the computer saw what Harry was doing.

"You!" Kris walked closer to Harry and bravely prodded his chest with her finger.

"Don't you know how long we were looking for you?" Kris asked.

"I was busy." Harry shrugged. "I've been frozen in time for five hundred years, and I wanted to see what Earth has become."

"You could have told us your plans at least." Kris said. She frowned at Harry who seemed unrepentant by her scolding and sat back on her seat. They were still on level one battle stations after all. "Now move away from my station!"

"Sorry." He scratched the back of his head. "I was just curious."

"Uhh Kris?" she heard Jack and noticed that his squad still had their arms frozen in large chunks of ice.

"Could you please remove that?"

Harry nodded and with a wave of his hand the ice vanished and the marines immediately dropped their frozen M-6s. Their thick gloves spared them any discomfort from having any frostbite, though they still massaged their arms while they gazed fearfully at Harry.

"Captain, General Ho is trying to contact us." Penny reported.

"Put him on screen." Drago ordered.

"Princess Longknife, I did tell you to stay out of trouble." General Ho looked displeased. "What would I tell Ray if you got killed?"

"It's the Longknife luck, General." Kris said. "Tell that to Grampa Ray, he'll understand that."

"I'm sure he will." The fleet commander of the Earth battle fleet muttered. "Did you shoot down those two Itechee fighters?"

Kris glanced at Captain Drago and Harry before she turned back to General Ho. "We did."

"Thank you. You saved a lot of lives."

"Are you planning to spread this to the press then?" Kris asked.

"Of course." General Ho grinned. "I think this would boost morale among the people. Stay out of trouble of princess."

General's image flickered out of the screen and Kris groaned. "He's using me as Earth Navy's poster girl."

"Of course he is." Drago replied. "Having unite the two most powerful factions in the Rim makes you one juicy poster girl."

"What does this button do?" Harry asked. He had wandered towards Penny's and was now looking over her shoulder.

"Don't touch that please." Penny said, unsure of how to speak to Harry.

The rest of the Wasp's crew eyed each other and finally stared at Kris.

"What are you looking at me for?"

"He listens to you mam." Gunny whispered. Jack and Captain Drago eagerly nodded and stared expectantly at her.

"Fine." Kris rolled her eyes and walked towards Harry with her hands on her hips.

"Harry."

"Yeah?"

"I need to talk to you." Kris said. "Can you come with me, please?"

Again, those unnerving green eyes stared at her, and she felt vulnerable, like all her hidden secrets were being laid out in front of her.

Harry nodded and followed Kris out of the bridge while the marines looked anxiously behind her. "Kris do you want..."Jack began.

"I'll be fine Jack." Kris said.

"But..."

"He could have killed me, us if he wanted to." Kris lowered her voice so that Harry wouldn't hear her. "And shooting down that Itechee fighter with his...power or whatever it is he has only convinces me that he's the one we need for this war. I'll be alright, he won't hurt me."

"Okay Kris." Jack said reluctantly. "I understand."

ooo

"Why didn't you tell General Ho about him?" Captain Drago asked. Kris had finished her talk with Harry, and like before he remained vague and evasive with his answers.

Kris only knew of when he was imprisoned, but other than that Harry was a mystery, a puzzle that she eagerly wanted to solve. Was he even human? Or could he be some entity masquerading in a body of a young man?

"They'll only use him like they use me for their propaganda." Kris replied. "I'll not have another suffer what I have experienced with the politicians and the press."

"Are you planning to use him for his abilities?" Jack asked. "I admit, despite my personal dislike of him, he could be useful."

"True." Captain Drago said. "Having him fighting for us could be the key to our victory against those Itechee."

"No, I won't treat him as a weapon! Grampa Ray has already used me enough these past two years to solve his problems and I know how it feels to be treated just like a tool." Kris said fiercely. "Harry may possess powers that we can only imagine, but what I want of him is his past. There are so many questions that I'd like to be answered, and they may hold the key for our victory."

Outside the conference room Harry leaned back on a wall, his eavesdropping charm enabling him to hear the top officer's meeting. The young man smiled when he heard Kris' reply and he had to respect her for that. Satisfied that their conversation would not reveal anything more useful to him, he started walking  
down a corridor he thought led to his new room.

He tried to remember the stateroom that Kris had generously assigned to him, forcing Helmsman Slowan to bunk with an equally disgruntled Jack. The doors were confusing since they all looked the same, but luckily he bumped into a very small and cute guide.

The small twelve year old girl ran around the corner without looking and collided with Harry. She fell down on her butt and she looked wide eyes at the young man looking down on her.

"Hello." Harry smiled seeing her. "What are you doing here?"

"Who are you?" The girl asked. "I've never seen you before."

"I'm new here, and I'm looking for the room Kris had let me use."

"Oh." The girl said. "Princess Longknife."

"Yes that's her." Harry grinned.

"I remember hearing Jack complaining about Mister Slowan bunking in his room." The girl said. "I wondered why he was moving out his room, but maybe the princess had given it to you."

"You're probably right." Harry said, impressed with her deduction. "You're pretty smart."

The girl beamed and gave a smile. "I'm Cara. What's your name?"

"Hello Cara. You can call me Harry." The young man said. "Now why don't you show Mister Slowan's old room?"

"Kay."

The twelve year old girl beckoned to him and a very short walk later she pointed at a door that was fifth down the hall.

"That's Mister Slowan's old room. That's mine and Aunt Abby's." She pointed to the door opposite his.

"Thanks Cara." Harry said sincerely. He thought for a moment and decided to reward the girl by conjuring a stuffed toy of a pink dragon and gave it to the surprised girl.

"How did you do that?" Cara asked, her large eyes growing larger. She accepted the stuffed toy and held it out carefully in front of her, as if she couldn't believe that this thing appeared out of thin air.

"Magic." Harry said simply.

"Are you the man Aunt Abby and the princess were looking for?" Cara tilted her head and looked at him. "I heard them talking the other night. Princess Kris said that he had strange powers."

"You're really smart." Harry grinned. "And yes, I'm that person. I guess they finally found me."

"Can you show me more of your powers?" Cara asked.

"What do you want?" Harry asked.

"Well... I always wanted a pet." The girl began.

ooo

"Bunny! A cuddly bunny!"

The turtle on the cafeteria table morphed into a fluffy white bunny, and it immediately hopped in front of the twelve year old girl. She clapped her hands and scooped up the fluffy mammal and gave it a tight hug. Some of the female crew gave a small applause while the others who had just arrived at the crowded  
room rubbed their eyes to make sure they weren't dreaming.

"Can you change it into a robin? I always wanted to see a live robin."

Cara hugged the struggling bunny tighter into her chest and glared at Kris, or rather the computer attached in her shoulder. "No Nelly, this is fine!"

"Awwww! Please?" Nelly begged.

Kris rolled her eyes at the Cara and her computer. She thought she had it bad when Cara and her computer that had a pre teen personality met, but them meeting the mysterious Harry proved far worse. The young man was unpredictable, and Kris and her crew kept on guessing what he would do next. He often wandered down the ship checking the engineering room and the mobile science laboratory observing Professor mFumbo and the rest of the boffins.

When Kris kept trying to speak with him to learn more about his history, Harry would answer vaguely and would then ask a question of his own, irritating the princess of Wardhaven to no end. He would leave her and her crew and continue exploring the ship, even the areas restricted to military personnel.

Harry would also disappear for hours on end from the ship without even asking for permission, and the crew of the Wasp would find him sleeping in Kris' luxurious bed to her' irritation and Aunt Tru's amusement.

It was a new experience for her to be treated so casually and with little respect, since she was a Wardhaven Lieutenant and was used to her men instantly obeying her orders. Kris was also a Longknife, and a princess, and most people she met (even her bitter rivals and enemies) would treat her with  
some amount of respect.

Harry was obviously not a threat to her or to her crew, unless he was confronted aggressively. Jack learned it the hard way when he attempted to lay his hands on Harry and was transformed into a Labrador puppy to Penny and Kris's shock.

Since then, the formidable Jack Montoya, ex-secret service agent and Marine Lieutenant never confronted Harry directly and only gave withering glares when the young man was around.

"Is the shuttle near?" Kris whispered to Abby.

"It's docking on the Wasp in six minutes. The marines took longer than expected since they had been stopped by Earth patrol on the way. With the Itechee war brewing, security had been increased in most planets and Earth, being the cradle of Humanity had the most military patrol vehicles circling the upper atmosphere.

The Itechee Carrier that had slipped through the defense grid had shocked Earth's population, and the politicians blocking proposals to increase military spending immediately withdrew their objections.

Kris was ordered by her grampa Ray to remain on Earth while the combined Rim fleets held back the Itechee advance, protecting crucial jump points needed for trade and resources. She was supposed to act as a liaison between the rim and the core worlds, but she knew her grampa just wanted her to remain safe from the war.

Bored and frustrated, Kris focused her attentions on Harry, determined to learn more about him. Tired of his vague answers, she consulted with Aunt Tru, Penny, Jack and Captain Drago and after an hour of planning they finally found a solution.

Tru's personal computer Sam had programmed a swarm of Nanos to tail Harry whenever he vanished. The microscopic robots attached to his hair and clothes to see where he kept on vanishing in to. Their first plan failed, since immediately once Harry vanished along with them, their nano circuits fried from a burst of an electromagnetic pulse.

Sam designed the next batch of nanos from the smart metal to have considerable EMP shielding. The new nanos were ten percent bigger than the earlier batch, though they still invisible to the human eye. They nanos were significantly more successful and had transmitted Harry's location whenever he vanished from the ship.

The pictures and the signals that the nanos transmitted showed that Harry was wandering around the streets of old London, appearing at random locations that even Nelly and Sam couldn't see a pattern.

Kris wondered what he was doing there, since almost all the commercial establishments were now located in new London. Harry would also appear in Scotland where Kris had first met him, and walking around the grounds and the automated farms around the castle ruins.

Sam released a third batch of nanos, with thicker hulls and more complex recording equipment, they could now transmit live video feeds and audio with a two second delay.

What they saw was astonishing, Harry would walk around old London to random locations, corporate buildings, underground parking lots and parks, waving his hands and muttering under his breath.

Kris would hear words like `gone', to `missing', and `impossible'. This made Kris more eager to learn what Harry was hiding, determined to learn the truth about his past.

Kris and Tru finally struck gold when they observed Harry in some park east of old London that Nelly said was once a suburb. They had heard the name `Hermione' from Harry and it was the first time Kris saw the young man smile.

Harry spent more time waving his hands at a section of the park, and incredibly a mound of earth rose among the bushes. He then walked down a flight of stone stairs and spent the better part of the day reading some papers and books that was inside the hidden room. The nanos were unable to transmit a  
clearer picture since he had entered the underground room, but Kris was able to mark the exact location and secretly planned a team to investigate the area.

When Harry finally came back to the Wasp, looking sadder than Kris had ever seen him since they had met a few weeks ago. She immediately dispatched Penny along with a few marines and scientist to the location Harry had been and was eagerly anticipating what they had found.

Initial reports by Penny said that they had discovered a small room, filled with old newspapers and books arranged by date at collapsed wooden bookshelves. Printed newspapers had not been used for over 300 hundred years since the advent of the Net, and people now relied on their daily news from the vast web of  
information. The team now headed back to the Wasp that was still docked at the New London port.

Kris was roused from her thoughts when a strange creature landed in her shoulder. It was a small avian bird and she could here Nelly exclaiming while Cara clapped her hands.

"Wonderful!" She heard Nelly say while the small bird lightly pecked Nelly's composite ceramic casing. Kris observed Harry who was now being served `acceptable food' as he had deemed it by an eager Cara, who wanted to see more of his abilities.

Everyone in the crowded mess room felt a slight jolt and Kris knew that the shuttle has just docked in the hangar.

"What was that?" Harry asked.

"It's probably the ship delivering supplies." Kris said. "I'll check on it to see if the delivery is going smoothly."

"Kris, couldn't you wait?" Nelly asked. She could almost imagine her computer pouting the same way Cara did whenever she wanted something.

"You can still observe the bird from the video monitors Nelly. I need you right now." Kris said.

"Kay Kris." Nelly said, sounding like a teenager who had just been grounded.

The robin leaped from her shoulders and flew around the room to everyone's amusement. They had never seen an extinct species literally fly among them and a few of the marines and odd duty crew moved closer to Harry to speak with him.

"Are you like Q?" Kris heard Corporal Li ask.

"What Q?"

"You know! From Star Trek! The Q continuum!" Corporal Li said, waving his right hand for emphasis. The corporal gave a brief introduction to what Q and his race was.

"Huh, never got to watch that episode. I'm not like this `Q' though" Harry said.

"See, I told you Li." A fellow marine who was seated beside the corporal said. "I'm right, maybe he's a Jedi."

"Are you?" The marine looked at Harry. "I've watched the ancient episodes, and the Knights of the old republic are my favorite. The initial trilogy was good, but the prequels sucked."

Harry looked at Cara who was hoping for another trick and he indulged her. He had watched Star Wars of course and knew what the Jedi were. He didn't know what the marine was talking about regarding prequels and the old republic, but he knew the trilogy.

The apple in a basket at the other end of the room floated towards Harry, and once it hovered in front of him the knife in his table cut it in half. He gave the other half of his apple to Cara while he took a bite out of his, to the stunned silence of those around him. After a second, the room exploded with  
questions and exclamations to their respective religions' gods.

While Harry had his attention occupied, Kris gave Jack and Abby a glance and both understood what she meant. They walked quickly towards the hangar, and were met on the way by Captain Drago and Aunt Truddy who were also eager to see the discovery.

Upon arrival at the hangar Kris saw the marines busy unloading a dozen large boxes of what they had discovered in the hidden room where Harry recently visited.

"How did it go?" Kris asked.

"We have discovered quite a few newspapers and books from the room he visited." Abby reported. "I suspect. This will answer quite a few of your questions."

Professor mFumbo was about to grab a paper when one of scientists that had joined the investigation warned him. "Careful professor, they're extremely fragile. They break like thin glass, I think we better take them to the lab."

"You're right." The Old professor said. "Gloves on people, we don't want to damage these artifacts."

"What newspapers were they?" Kris asked Abby.

"That's what's puzzling. None of these newspapers are on record. I've searched the whole database." Abby said. "Most of the issues are from the Quibbler, Daily Prophet or Witch Weekly."

"Nelly?"

"I'm sorry Kris." Nelly said. "I can't find anything. The names are peculiar though."

"Some of the papers have his picture on the front page." Abby reported. "And we finally know his full name."

"What is it?" Kris eagerly asked.

"Harry Potter."

ooo

The newspapers were carefully laid out in the forensics table, handled with care by gloved hands and the nano machines who gave a warning if they detected structural failure. There was quite a few of the newspapers and professor mFumbo decided with the daily prophet, since it had the most number of issues in the box.

Fearing that with more handling that the papers would get destroyed, the scientists photographed every page for documentation of their discovery, and Kris immediately had Nelly bring project the images in the large view screen while the scientists continued to document the Quibbler and Witch Weekly.

"I'm detecting faint traces of the frequency we have detected from the tapestry." Professor mFumbo said. He looked up to see that no one was paying any attention to him... instead everyone was looking at the large views screen.

"Good Lord." Penny whispered.

Kris didn't hear it, as she continued reading the front page of article in the Daily Prophet.

ooo

_Hero of the Wizarding World missing!  
Penelope Clearwater_

_An hour after defeating the most feared Dark Lord in history, Harry Potter, savior of the wizarding world has gone missing!_

_"He suddenly vanished." Ron Weasley, longtime friend of Harry Potter said. "He said he was about to meet a few friends of his that helped him in the war, but he never came back."_

_As this reporter interviewed Ron Weasley, Harry Potter's friend Hermione Granger leads a search for our hero along with the Order of the Phoenix, a secret organization established by the late Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter's mentor._

_"It couldn't be the death eaters." Ron Weasley added. "Harry's the most powerful wizard in the world, he can't be just kidnapped just like that."_

_Ron Weasley's statement is true, as this reporter testifies, witnessing the titanic clash between He who must not be named and Harry Potter. The energies the two powerful beings unleashed was enough to destroy Hogwarts castle, and the shockwaves were felt even up to France and Spain and this reporter almost died if it were not for the Order of the Phoenix._

_The picture above is Harry Potter, victorious after his epic duel with the Dark Lord. Information for Harry Potter's whereabouts will be rewarded by the Ministry of Magic and the Daily Prophet head office._

ooo

_Harry Potter, Has he abandoned us?  
Rita Skeeter_

_Has the Hero of the wizarding world abandoned us? That is the big question on everyone's minds. Frankly, I will not be surprised if Mr. Potter did, with the way he was treated by the Ministry of Magic in the fight against the Dark Lord._

_Early into the second war, the Ministry of Magic continued to deny the rumors that the Dark Lord had been reborn. The rumors started after Harry Potter, then 14, escaped the Dark Lord after being kidnapped. The then TriWizard Champion was forced to endure harassment from the Ministry controlled press and was subject to ridicule from Wizarding society._

_Harry Potter's statement proved true in the end of his fifth year at Hogwarts, when he lead a rag tag team of students to foil the Dark Lord's plans inside the Ministry of Magic to recover a prophecy. The Dark Lord himself arrived at the ministry and this reporter and the Minister of Magic saw Albus Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard then drive off He who-must-not-be-named in a magical duel._

_It was then that the shocking revelation regarding Sirius Black was discovered. The Heir of the Black Family was innocent of his crimes after all, but unfortunately the godfather of Harry Potter died saving his godson._

_Harry Potter then trained under the guidance of Albus Dumbledore, and even then, he was harassed and persecuted by corrupt Ministry officials secretly supporting the Dark Lord._

_This reporter apologizes to Harry Potter for the articles I have written, and wishes Harry Potter well wherever he is._

ooo

Kris looked up and stared at Jack and the scientist who continued to read the paper. Once everyone finished reading, Nelly suggested an article that might shed some light on the information they had read.

"Do you want me to display it Kris?"

"Please Nelly." Kris said. Her mind was abuzz with what she had just read. Wizards? Magic? Even a Ministry of Magic? She had to learn more.

The image in the view screen changed, and it was dated November 1, 1981. A picture showed of a baby boy, lovingly embraced by a woman while a man that shared the facial features of Harry stood by her shoulder.

"This looks to be Harry's parents." Nelly said.

"Shhhh Nelly." Kris said. "You know we can't read a page in 5 nanoseconds like you do. Now let me read it."

ooo

_The-Boy-Who-Lived!  
Henry Hensignton_

_On the 31st of October, the Dark Lord entered the house of James and Lily Potter, intent on killing a family known for supporting the Light. Like all who stood before him, they had died quickly with a wave of his wand._

_None stood against the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters, except for Albus Dumbledore, the only wizard that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named feared._

_Then Little Harry Potter, was struck with the Killing Curse, but for some reason it backfired and turned back to its caster. The Dark Lord disappeared, only leaving ashes and his robes where he once stood._

_Amazingly Harry Potter remained alive, and he is the only known survivor of the Killing Curse. A mark on his forehead shaped like lightning shows where he is hit by the Killing curse and turned it back against the Dark Lord._

_Even with his parents dead, the Wizarding World salutes young Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived for killing the Dark Lord and ending the dark times of our world._

ooo

"I can't believe this." Kris said. "I think I need to seat down for a moment."

"I think we all do." Professor mFumbo said, he was already sitting down on his desk.

"There appears to be a hidden society that existed at that time." Penny said. "Wizards and Witches? Who knew those myths was true?"

"And they all use Magic." Jack added. "If I didn't see him perform all those tricks, I wouldn't believe this and think this is just some elaborate gag."

"And Harry... I feel sorry for him." Kris said softly. She couldn't believe how he could have suffered so much at such a young age. She knew the feeling of having lost someone with her younger brother being kidnapped and murdered at the tender age of six.

She was nine then, and her six year old brother Eddy suddenly vanished while her Nanny lay dead in the park along with their bodyguards. What if she didn't run off to buy ice cream for her and her brother? Days after they attempted to find her brother, Kris finally learned the truth. Her poor baby brother was dead, drowned in a pile of manure after the negotiations failed.

The revelations of Harry's life made Kris remember her own childhood, and she suddenly felt the need to be alone. "I'm sorry, but I think I need to be alone for the moment."

"Of course Kris." Aunt Tru said, smiling sadly. She had been the Bureau chief of Wardhaven Communications and was the one to discover Eddy's location. "Take all the time you need honey. Sam will send you a report when all this is finished."

"Thanks Aunt Tru." Kris hugged the older woman and headed to her room. She had to be strong damn it! She wondered why this was affecting her so much. Poor Eddy.

Kris was about to reach her room, turning her face away from the crew who passed her so that they wouldn't see the tears in her eyes. She stepped to the side to avoid a crew member but he followed her actions to block her path.

"Move." Kris said.

"You crying princess?"

Kris looked up to see Harry wearing a long piece suit with red markings in his chest and shoulder. On his chest was a small inverted shaped V while four gold buttons were pinned on his collar.

"This isn't the time Harry." Kris said. She didn't want to look at his green eyes, for some reason she felt vulnerable when she stared at them.

"Uhuh." Harry said. He was confused on why such a headstrong and confident young woman looked broken.

Kris looked up to his eyes and suddenly the memory of Eddy flashed across her mind. Eddy's death had broken up her family, her father Billy Longknife rarely went home and stopped going to her soccer games while her mom busied herself with her friends.

Kris was forced to come along to those long tea parties and found that adding some strange liquid in her tea made spending the long hours with those older women bearable. At eleven she had become an alcoholic.

It was all she could do not to cry in front of him and looked up at him, her eyes pleading. "Really. I need to go to my room."

For some strange reason Kris saw that Harry's expression was soft, his eyes full of gentleness and compassion. He stepped to the side and let the princess of Wardhaven through. Drat, he wanted to annoy her, but it looked like she was feeling down today, remembering about her tragic childhood.

He decided to visit the uptights in the scientists' compartment, he was curious about the gizmos they had there. Aside from the bridge and engineering, it was the only room that looked cool and futuristic.

ooo

"Kris, can I disturb you?" Nelly asked. Thankfully despite her computer developing a personality, she had also developed tact.

"Go ahead Nelly." Kris said from her bed.

"My Nanos on Harry are not responding." Nelly said.

"Maybe they were fried with the EMP he generates?" Kris asked.

"No, I can even detect the fried EMP, the Nanos in his clothes are gone. I can't find a trace of the smart metal."

Kris remembered that Harry was wearing the strange clothes when she met him "Maybe he threw his old clothes away."

"That's what I'm guessing." Nelly said.

"Hi Kris!"

The Princess of Wardhaven shrieked and grabbed the pistol in her thigh and pointed it to the source of the sound.

"You!" Kris shouted! "I told you I'm busy! Don't you have some manners?"

"I noticed you were feeling down today, so I thought you could use some cheering up." Harry said. He was wearing an unremarkable gray sweatshirt that had Nuu Corporation on it and jeans.

"Where did you get that?" Kris asked when she noticed what Harry was wearing.

"From Jack."

"He gave it to you?" Kris asked, surprised at the actions of her marine lieutenant.

"No, I nicked it from his locker. It's the only one that fits." Harry said. "I can't keep on conjuring or transfiguring clothes, they don't feel as comfortable as regular clothes,"

Kris gave a small smile at the thought of stealing something from Jack. She finally stood up, adjusted her uniform and then began to comb her hair. She wished Abby was here, she always arranged her hair perfectly.

"Why are you here? I told you I didn't want to be disturbed."

"You were feeling down, and I know the great way to cheer you up." Harry said. "And I haven't tasted chocolate for a while, and I thought you'd like to come along."

"Chocolate?" She perked up when she heard the word. Kris was severely tempted with the idea. "There is an ice cream parlor in new London..."

"Let's go then." Harry made to grab Kris' shoulder when the princess of Wardhaven jumped back. "No! We can always drive!"

"But it's faster." Harry insisted.

"And I don't want to throw up." Kris shook her head. "We'll drive."

"You didn't throw up the first time." Harry said. "And don't worry, you'll get used to it... in time."

"No, and it's only a short drive. I have rented a car and it's waiting for us at the docks." Kris said. "Let's go."

"Fine." Harry grumbled. He noticed the pistol she put back in her holster and Kris noticed his curious stare.

"This is for insurance." Kris said. "I've had several attempts on my life, three this year alone."

Harry looked thoughtful as he regarded and nodded. "I heard on the street about you Longknifes."

"Oh?" Kris raised an eyebrow. "I think something's missing there."

"It's those damn Longknife's I heard mostly, and I don't know if it's for praise or insult."Harry grinned. "Don't worry about any assassination attempts. I'll keep an eye on you."

"I'll tell the Captain we're leaving." Kris said. "I don't want them to think that you kidnapped me again."

ooo

"Jack here." The Marine lieutenant said.

"Jack, I thought you wanted to know, Kris suddenly left the ship with the car we rented a few days back." Captain Drago said. "She said she was going out for ice cream."

"What? That isn't in her itinerary for today! Who is going with her? And how many?"

"I asked that she take a squad at least." Drago said. "But she insisted that she would go with just one guard. She says she wants some chocolate ice cream."

"Damn! Why would she take only one guard?" Jack frowned. He moved to his locker to prepare to follow Kris when the Captain of the Wasp replied.

"Her guard is Harry Potter." Drago said. "I don't think she'll need more protection than that, even with her damn Longknife luck. Who could be better to stay with her than him? With powers like his..."

"You're right." Jack admitted. He didn't like Harry, but having read his background, he was reluctant to admit that Harry is more than capable to protect Kris.

ooo

"This is the biggest car I've been in." Harry said. He continued to play with the buttons in the dashboard and Kris had to instruct Nelly to turn off any of the buttons related to driving the car.

The black Mercedes SM -3 smoothly drove down the road, past the other ships in the dock, while its lights flashed on and off, its rain drop evaporator in full blast and the latest music blaring on their ears. Even Nelly thought it was too loud, and automatically shut off the speakers.

Kris was more than amused with Harry's actions and instead focused on the cars that they drove past, alert for any danger.

"There's someone following us." Harry said, pointing at the video screens on the dashboard.

"Nelly?" Kris asked.

Nelly jacked into the car and used the rear video cameras to take a closer look at the plates on the car following them.

"I ran the plate on the Earth government database." Nelly reported. "I found a match and it belongs to the Earth government database. Two days ago it registered inside the Europa Embassy parking lot."

"That's okay then, they must be secret service agents assigned to me." Kris said. "General Ho mentioned that he would keep an eye on me."

"Being a princess must have its perks." Harry said.

"Not really." Kris said as she turned the car to a left, following Nelly's instructions. "This princess thing started when Society for Humanity movement collapsed and Wardhaven and her allies founded the United Sentients two years ago. The members elected grampa Ray to be the symbolic King and everyone started calling me princess. Trust me, it was a pain in the ass me since my superior officers doesn't know whether to call me lieutenant or princess."

Harry remained silent as he observed the various models posing in the large screens. His eyes widened when he noticed how revealing their dresses were. Seeing that Harry was busy, Kris continued to talk.

"Then there are the idiotic officers who don't respect me at all because they only think that I gained this  
rank because of my family. I say a being called a hero's better."

Kris realized her slip of the tongue and immediately looked at Harry. The young man was grinning at him, as if he knew something she didn't.

"I mean saving the world... or a planet." Kris hastily added. She had read too much of the ancient newspapers that featured Harry and his life. `Shit! Shit! Shit!' she thought.

"Don't worry." Harry said with a smile. "I visited the lab before I visited your room. It seems like you have a way of tracking me that I don't know. Very naughty Kris." He waggled his eyebrows at her.

Kris' cheeks tinged red with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, but we were not sure if we could trust you back then. Hell, we didn't even know if you were human before we read those newspapers! That answered a lot of questions."

"True." Harry said. "I guess it was my fault for not answering your questions. I was angry when I woke up."

"I bet." Kris said.

"We're here." Kris parked in front of an ice cream parlor. Harry again fumbled with the door hinge until Nelly took pity on him and opened it.

"It's a nice looking car and all, but why is door handle so hard to open?" Harry asked.

"It's really designed for people with a personal computer. Computers usually open the doors, and receive and send messages, shop, transact business with stores, vending machines, almost anything you can think of." Kris explained.

"So every human has a computer?" Harry asked as he opened the door for her.

"Not all." Kris said. "Only the fully developed planets like Earth, the seven sisters, Wardhaven and a dozen others have a ninety percent population that is constantly connected to the net with their personal computer."

"So what about the rest? How do they survive in this urban jungle?" Harry asked.

"There are some who completely resist technology, due to their religions or beliefs." Kris said. Those people usually live among themselves in the remote places, like the country or mountains."

"Good afternoon!" A waitress appeared by their table. "Are you ready to order?"

"I thought computers did everything these days." Harry said.

The waitress frowned and her bubbly expression vanished. "You have a problem with my job?"

"He used to be a quaker." Kris whispered to the woman and the waitress immediately understood and smiled at Harry. "Decided to convert have you? Good choice."

Harry, having noticed the woman's expression but didn't hear Kris' whisper just nodded and smiled. Kris coughed to hide a laugh, though Nelly was laughing inside her head. The settled for a smile and continued to observe her strange guest.

"Good." The waitress smiled back and leaned forward revealing her cleavage. "It would be such a waste with your looks."

The waitress was about to ruffle the young man's hair, when she remembered that he had a girl with him and slowly moved back. She looked at the young woman and breathed a sigh of relief- she didn't appear to be mad or jealous for flirting with her man.

"I think I'm ready to order, Mandy." Kris said reading the name plate on the woman's blue uniform.

"Same here." Harry added as he gave back the menu. The basic flavors hadn't changed, though there were peculiar names like Supernova Strawberry (that claimed to be the most popular flavor) and Cosmo Creamy Cheese.

"Good!" The waitress said. "What will it be?"

"I'll have the supernova strawberry, one scoop with a scoop of chocolate with truffles." Kris looked at Harry, telling him that it was his turn.

"Do you serve the ice cream on a cone?" Harry asked. "I haven't seen in the menu if you do."

"We have some in stock, though it's rarely used these days. The health authority had a campaign for the past decade on about how unsanitary it is. We still stock it though, coz' the owner's a bit sentimental."

"Yes, I know it sounds stupid." Mandy added, seeing Harry's look.

"I'll have two scoops of chocolate on a cone." Harry said.

"That's it? Just plain chocolate? Don't you want the ones with toppings?"

"Yup, just plain chocolate." Harry repeated.

"I'll be right back." The waitress said. She seemed disturbed with Harry's very boring and plain order and Harry made a note to see if she would add anything in his ice cream.

"What did you tell her about to get her out my back?" Harry asked.

Kris hesitated and answered him with a question, though a smile kept tugging on her lips. "Are you familiar with American history or design?"

"I slept through most of history class, and I don't know shit about art." Harry admitted.

"Then I won't tell you." Kris grinned.

They had taken their order, and it was such a nice day that Kris and Harry decided to take a walk to finish their ice cream. Harry drew curious glances from a few shoppers when he continued to lick his ice cream while Kris ate hers as expected of someone who needed to watch out for newsies, seeking to discredit her with unflattering photos.

"So, are you feeling better?" Harry asked.

"Yes." Kris smiled and stopped as she stopped at the sea front. "Thank you for suggesting it."

"Chocolate helps." Harry said. He said it so seriously that Kris couldn't help but giggle. They finished eating their cold snacks watching various ships take off into space while every now and then a PT boat would fly past, reminding the people of the escalating war.

In the far distance she could see the Wasp floating on the calm waters while sea gulls tried to steal a fish or two from a trawler returning back to port. The sun has begun to set, but Harry frowned when he didn't spot the moon on the sky.

"Don't tell me the moon got destroyed in the future." Harry said. He knew by this time of night, the moon should have made its appearance.

"It's not." Kris laughed. "On the twenty second century, a study by scientists theorized that fish would live longer and larger if they were placed in an environment that had a sixth of earth's gravity."

"So the moon's one large aquarium?"

"It's more like one large supply of food for Earth. Back after world war three, there was a severe food most of the croplands were in the Sahara region."

"What about the oceans?"

"They poisoned it too much, especially with the uncontrolled development in the Asian continent." Kris said, surprised that she still remembered her history of humanity. She knew that like Harry, she too slept through history class. "With all the land reclamation in the middle east and the warmer weather, the ecology of the world's ocean just changed."

"It looks like it's doing well again." Harry said when the trawler hauled up its net where hundreds of fish struggled to escape.

"Two hundred years ago, Earth started a conservation program in hopes of reviving Earth's oceans." Kris said. "They're just reaping the benefits of that program in the last fifty years. It will be a long time before Earth could become self sufficient again."

"Is that the moon?" Against the darkening skies the moon finally revealed herself, much dimmer than Harry remembered and giving off an unnatural blue glow. He couldn't even see the craters, and it gave a new meaning to the term blue moon.

"Yes, that's the moon and the water's reflecting the sun." Kris said. "I've only seen the Earth's moon in images and videos until now. It's actually quite beautiful."

"How did they do it?" Harry asked, mesmerized with the sight of the most visible heavenly body in the sky.

Kris checked her watch, it was late but for some strange reason she didn't care. They were supposed to have dinner at the mess room by now, but she trusted Nelly to assure Jack that she was fine. Her computer had been silent for the most part of the day and she wondered what she was up to.

"They started by hauling in those mountain sized pieces of ice floating between Mars and Jupiter." Kris explained. "I read the history of Earth's moon. They filled craters that's not facing the sun to start a large water basin. Then they continued filling the other craters until they had enough to start an atmosphere. It's still not breathable for humans though, because the atmosphere's too thin."

"And the fish?"

"The scientists genetically modified a whole ecosystem to suit the moon's conditions." Kris said. "There are species that thrive on the surface facing the sun, while other species thrive on the darker side of the moon, the one not facing the sun."

"I'd like to visit that someday." Harry mused.

"You could." Kris said. "There are underwater luxury hotels on the moon that caters to tourists."

Harry shook his head in disbelief. "I thought I was handling the future just fine, but to see how much had changed with the moon..."

"Humanity learned a lot with the moon to improve our terraforming techniques on the planets we discovered." Kris explained.

They both heard the growl of a hungry stomach, and Harry knew it wasn't his. He glanced at his companion who looked embarrassed. He didn't mind at all.

"Where do you want to eat?" Harry asked.

"Huh?"

"C'mon, tell me." Harry said. "You told me that this is your first time to Earth, so let's do some exploring. Choose a country you'd like to visit."

Kris weighed her options and she bit her lip thinking of what she heard was good. "Grampa Trouble said that Italian food's the best."

Harry brushed off her comment with a smile. "All countries say that. Us British claim that we have the best breakfast, while the Japanese say they have the healthiest food around. The French boasts of their complexity and refinement."

"Let's go to Italy then." Harry decided. "Is Venice still there?"

"It was preserved with a series of dikes." Kris said. "I heard that it's quite popular."

Harry had already cast a notice-me-not charm and grasped Kris arm. The princess of Wardhaven looked nervous and she shrieked when she suddenly felt that she was being squeezed through a tight rubber tube.

"That was horrible." Kris gasped after they reappeared. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that."

"You will." Harry said. "Now let's find us a nice place to eat!"

Kris looked around and noticed the tourists and diners walking on stone bridges. "I should have worn a dress."

"We're wingin' it anyway." Harry said. "What do you think is the best place to eat Nelly?"

"Food critics consistently ranked the Fenice to be among the best in Venice." Nelly said. "It's down this street, 72.3 meters on the right."

The two followed Nelly's directions, while they occasionally glanced at the windows of the restaurants and shops. Some of the establishments had placed tables and chairs outside for their customers to enjoy wind or to smoke their cigars.

"Uh Kris."

"Yes Harry?" She asked. She was looking at a gondola where a man was kneeling down in front of a woman, the glint of a ring in a box. Her girly side, the one that was constantly suppressed due to her job as Lieutenant of the Wardhaven navy, wanted to sigh. Romance was in the air, and the city of Venice held it in place.

"I realize that I might be taking advantage of you, paying the bills and all." Harry rubbed the back of his head. "I really don't have money right now, but once I get my hands on some, I'll pay you back."

Kris hid her smile. "Don't pay me back Harry. If I need a favor or two, can I count on you?"

"Sure." The young man said, happy that he could repay Kris in anyway.

It seemed that little has changed in Venice since a man asked them for a reservation while he eyed their clothes.

"I'm sorry Miss, but we are full." The man said in a haughty voice.

Kris could see that there are other tables that were vacant, but she knew that like in Wardhaven high society, not being dressed appropriately means not being treated accordingly. Except for those with the name Longknife.

`Nelly, turn on my public profile page.' Kris ordered her computer.

Each person was expected to turn on his or her profile page when in a party so that guests could analyze a person they wanted to talk to. The information includes the educational attainment of a person, his family and it could not be modified by just anyone.

The man in front read Kris' profile as his computer automatically downloaded the data and his eyes widened with shock. "I'm sorry Princess Longknife. We have not been expecting you. Please, come in, I have a table reserved for you and your companion."

The waiters around the area received a message from the man and immediately the manager himself appeared to receive Kris and Harry. "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting Princess Longknife. Please this way."

Kris and Harry received the stares from other patrons as they were led at a prime seat, with their table was overlooking the canals of Venice. They had some amount of privacy since they were far away from the other tables that they would not be overheard though everyone could still see them.

Whispers of 'Longknife' broke through the customers, and all were eager to see a real live, Rim Princess.

"I should have worn something better."Kris said. "Now those gossip columns will talk about how bad the uniform I'm wearing. Nelly has already detected four video devices aimed at our direction."

Harry looked at the unflattering Navy skirt and blouse. "It looks good on you."

"You're a lousy liar Harry." Kris said. She knew how horrible the Navy uniform was on the women, and for a longtime suspected a conspiracy to intentionally make the Navy uniforms for women as horrible and ugly as possible. Her suspicions grew when she saw her once bitter enemy, Victoria Peterwald-Smythe, wearing an ugly Greenfeld uniform.

"They told that to me too." Harry grinned.

The two had a light conversation while they waited for their food, talking about the changes in Earth and what intrigued Harry the most. To Kris' amusement, he confessed on the fashion, seeing their fellow women diners around them wearing nothing more than strips of cloths to cover their breasts.

Harry deferred to Kris, or rather Nelly to know what was good to order on the menu. As expected, unlike the fast food joints like Jollibee and Burger King where one's computer submits an order, a waiter approached them with a complimentary bottle of wine in honor of Kris' presence.

"Wow, that looks expensive." Harry said when he looked the bottle. He was no wine connoisseur, but seeing the date of the bottle to be more than a hundred years old impressed him.

"It's from Mars." Kris said. "The wineries there are reputed to be among the best in human space. Their probably glad we chose to eat here, the restaurant will be using this opportunity as a marketing campaign."

"Princess Longknife ate here." Harry said, his hands creating an imaginary sign and laughed when he saw Kris' face.

"I guess you don't like the attention much huh." Harry said. He sipped his wine and found it a bit sweet, but seeing Kris enjoy hers he made no comment.

"It gets annoying." Kris said. She was surprised that she finished her glass and feared that she could not control herself later. She had been an alcoholic once, at an early age of thirteen and that pretty much ruined her early childhood before Grampa Trouble introduced her to Skif racing. He had literally saved her life, a fact that she was forever grateful of.

`Nelly, make sure to remind me to only drink three more glasses of wine.' Kris mentally ordered her computer.

`Yes Kris.'

ooo

"That was nice eh?" Harry asked.

Kris and Harry had a pleasant time as they finished their dinner. To Harry's surprise, Kris was able to match him in appetite, cleaning her plate with the last piece on the bread basket. They had decided to take a leisurely walk along the street to work off the food, and see more of Venice while they cooled their bodies down.

"It was." Kris said. "I have the urge to burp right now."

Harry grinned and looked down at the gondolas in the canal, the gondoliers calling towards the couples and tourists walking down the street. He could see that Kris was also looking at the gondolas and moved beside her.

"You wanna ride to, huh?" Harry asked. "I always wanted to when I was a kid."

"Same here. Let's go for a ride." Kris said. She walked down towards a gondolier looking for a customer and he spotted Harry and Kris walking towards him.

Harry didn't know how much five hundred Earth dollars was worth as Nelly passed the funds electronically to the man's wrist computer. They learned that the man's name was Julio as he formally introduced himself, bowing with flourish and wearing a long (and clearly fake) mustache. He had promised them a ride through the Grand Canal and suggested they take a shortcut to reach the famous tourist attraction.

"I thought the canals would smell funny." Harry said as he stepped over the boat. He helped Kris and they both sat down beside each other while the Gondalier pushed off from the stone platform.

"When were you born, world war three?"

Harry looked back and noticed the gondolier was looking at him in an odd fashion. "The canals have been cleaned since the late twenty second century. I heard that the smell was driving the tourists away so we did something about it."

"Sorry" Kris said. "He's never travelled before, it's the first time he went outside the British Isles."

"Poor you." Julio the Gondalier chuckled. "Look at me, I'm from Brazil, I've travelled all over Earth and the seven sisters. You should travel more, and you'll learn something and be more cultured."

Harry just nodded, not knowing what to say while Kris gave her companion amused sidelong glances. Harry noticed as they passed other Gondalas that their rowers barely used the pole, yet the narrow water boats glided smoothly across the narrow canals at a good pace.

"That's cheating." Harry said good naturedly to the Gondolier. Julio barely used the long pole but they were already moving at a fairly decent rate across the canals. It was more evident when they turned to a wide canal where the gondola picked up even more speed.

"It's not fun when you have to do this all day." Julio replied with a friendly smile. He looked at Kris and Harry and asked. "Honeymoon?"

"Huh?" Kris asked.

"Did you just get married?" Julio asked again.

"No! Were not like that!" Kris said. "We're just friends, that's all."

Julio glanced at their bare fingers and frowned at Harry. "If you got her pregnant, I'd marry her."

"I'm not pregnant." Kris almost shouted. She thought she could here Nelly laugh and she blushed harder.

"Still, if you're doing it, you better get married." Julio said. "I had a friend whose daughter got pregnant. The bastard who was responsible left her, poor girl was devastated."

Harry shook her head. Their Gondolier had suddenly turned into a priest giving them a lecture!

"Can someone shut him up?" Harry whispered to Kris' ear. He was about to consider casting a silencing charm when they heard a strange sound.

THWACK!

THWACK!

Julio's head exploded in a spray of blood and brain matter to the shock of the gondola's two remaining occupants. They were sitting at the farther end of the narrow craft and thankfully not covered with what remained of Julio's head.

"I didn't mean it like that." Harry said slowly, trying to process what happened.

Kris, being the more experienced one with guns and rifles, recognized the effects of a large bullet hitting a head.

"Get down!" Kris screamed. "We're under attack!" Unfortunately, their Gondola virtually provided no cover, and the two settled on crouching down on the bottom of the narrow boat.

Immediately after she said that, Kris felt something hit her directly on the forehead before dropping down the wooden floor of the gondola. Her heart froze when she realized she was hit. Her body was covered with the almost transparent spider silk weave designed to stop bullets, except for her head, hands and feet, and a direct hit on her head would be the end of it.

She wondered why there wasn't any blood when she raised her hand to touch her forehead. She felt like someone poking her cheek and saw another bullet drop to the floor.

It took her a while before she realized that the high velocity bullets were bouncing off her! She immediately turned to Harry who looked angry as he stared at the building in either side of the canal they were in. A few bullets lay around him, and Kris knew that someone tried to kill him too.

"Nelly, can you identify the trajectory of those bullets?" Kris asked. She felt a few more pokes on her chest and torso but ignored them as her eyes looked for the shooter. Harry was really handy to be around.

"I'm working on it Kris." Nelly said. "From the rounds you have taken, it appears that the shooter is directly north of your position."

Kris looked at the six story building, a good 100 meters in front from them. "The shooter has to be in one of those rooms!"

Suddenly a burst of fire caught their attention and they saw a missile quickly speeding towards them from the roof of the building. The shooter must have realized that his bullets were not penetrating her armor and got impatient, and used a shoulder mounted missile launcher.

Kris was about to jump to the water when the rocket suddenly stopped and fell into the canal. A moment later a column of water rose, soaking Kris while Harry continued to stand in front of the gondola, his eyes looking at the trail of smoke. He spotted movement in the shadows and he raised his hand.

He finally found his target.

"Accio Idiot!"

Kris looked up when she heard the shriek as a man rapidly hurtled towards them. A few seconds later the man was shivering, his rifle still slung on his shoulder as he hovered in front of a very angry wizard.

"Who hired you?" Kris demanded.

The man saw Kris and he immediately raised his hand to fire his pistol when it was suddenly thrown back, as if someone yanked it from him. The assassin looked surprised and tried to struggle when his arms and legs snapped to his side, as if bound by an invisible rope.

The man appeared to be struggling as he was forced to look at Harry's eyes by some unseen force. A moment later Harry looked to a building to his left and there he spotted a silhouette observing them through the glass.

"So, there are two of you." He raised his other arm, pointing towards the new target while his right continued to levitate the first assassin.

"Accio another idiot!"

This time the man who struggled as he zoomed towards Harry did not cry as loud as his cohort, though Harry noted that his screams were deeper. Smashing through the glass was not a pleasant experience, and Harry could see wounds on the man's face and body.

Kris smiled coldly when she saw the second assassin's face.

"Good evening Captain Thorpe, fancy meeting you here." She emphasized his rank in a way that was  
obviously meant to insult the man.

Kris reveled at seeing her enemy and old captain shiver in fear as he looked at her and Harry.

"What should I do with him?" Harry asked. He bound the man's body with a modified petrification charm so that he wouldn't pull any stunts like his partner did.

"What are you?" Thorpe asked Harry. He looked back at Kris and snarled, regaining his anger when he saw her smug face. "Allying yourself with freak aliens now? You have no honor Longknife. I should have left your rotting corpse back in Sequim."

"Crucio."

Thorpe yelled and his anguished screams echoed along the canal, bouncing across the buildings. His limbs twitched in a way that Kris had never seen before, and she knew he must be experiencing a world of pain.

"I'm not an alien, I'm just her bodyguard for tonight." Harry said. "Did you like that Mister Thorpe?"

"Please. No more." The man whimpered.

He had only been subjected to a few seconds of the Cruciatus curse. Short term exposure did not really do any damage to the body and it just breaks an opponent's concentration. Prolonged exposure though could shatter one's mind.

"I'm already contacting the local police." Nelly said.

"Obliviate."

Kris looked at Harry and saw that the two men he had captured no lay unconscious on the stone platform beside the Gondola. The boat suddenly moved without any effort towards the stairs and Kris and Harry quickly jumped into the stone stairs leading up to the street.

"What did you do with them?" Kris asked.

"I obliviated any memories of my abilities, and then I inserted vague memories of you and your guard capturing these idiots." Harry said. His face was still quite serious, similar to the one she saw in the photograph on the Daily prophet.

The two of them heard the footsteps of several people, and saw the flash of red lights indicating that the police had finally arrived.

"Are they always late in your time too?" Kris asked.

"Yep." Harry said as he looked at the police officers that rushed out of their cars. One female officer slipped on the wet stairs caused by the explosion in the water earlier and fell on the canal. Fortunately for her, as the late Julio boasted, the water was quite clean, though she couldn't do anything about the  
muck that lay on the bottom of the canal.

"…always late, and clumsy." He added. Seeing the young female police officer struggle as she waded at the waist deep canal reminded him of Tonks. The woman already had the heart shaped face, and Harry was sorely tempted to change her hair pink and increase her bust size.

"This is the police! Do not move! Raise your hands above your head or you will be shot!"

Harry found the police officers command amusing, and followed his command while Kris moved beside him.

"Sir! This man is dead!" The wet police officer said when she spotted the body of Gondalier Julio lying at the back of the Gondola, part of his head dripping with blood.

"Fuck, of all the nights to have a murder investigation." The man glanced at his subordinate. "Natalia, get the homicide investigators here."

Officer Tena nodded and punched a series of commands to her wrist computer while the other police officers secured the perimeter of the crime scene.

"He was shot by this man." Kris indicated the two unconscious men lying by their feet. "And he also attempted to kill me, several times in fact."

"And who are you?" The police officer demanded.

"I'm Kristine Longknife, princess of Wardhaven and Navy Lieutenant"

The moment the man heard her name, he immediately called for his superior.

Harry though grinned when he heard Kris' full name and whispered at her ear. "Kristine?"

"Now's not the time Harry." Kris hissed. Without asking, Nelly had activated her public profile, broadcasting her identity to anyone that cared to look.

"You can put your hands down Princess." The police officer said as his colleagues cuffed the two unconscious men.

"What about my bodyguard?" Kris asked.

"Of course princess." The officer said. He touched his earpiece when he received a call and his face paled when he realized who was calling him. Kris was tempted to listen in to conversation when he saw the man's reaction, but decided against it in the end. Because of her, another man was killed and  
she realized that this was not the time for humor. She wondered if Julio had any family, and promised to find out later when she got back on her ship.

Such was the fate of being a Longknife, trouble seems to pop out from the most least likely places whenever one was near.

"You are free to go, Princess Longknife." The officer said. "Would you like an escort to your shuttle?"

"Aren't you going to pick up our statements?" Harry asked. He had already thought of a good story to spin and was eager to try it with Venice's finest.

"Uh no sir." The police officer said, mistaking him for a Wardhaven Marine.

"And what about this man?" Kris asked. "He is a former Wardhaven Navy Captain by the name of Thorpe, and I recently fought him as he attempted to ransack a Wardhaven planet with his ship. He's a pirate."

"We will take care of him." The officer said. "Rest assured princess, our justice system is very efficient."

"Then I'll leave the rest to you. I don't need an escort to my... shuttle. My bodyguard is more than capable of protecting me, as you can see from this assassination attempt." Kris said. She turned to her `bodyguard' and gave him a nod. The two hastily moved away from the scene, as onlookers and the media started to gather to see what happened.

Harry found a spot under a bridge and waved his hand to create a notice me not charm and beckoned Kris to move closer to him.

"You ready?" Harry asked. They had been enjoying their stay in Venice and he never saw Kris that relaxed before ever since he met her. Now she wore a dark look on her face, and Harry guessed to what caused it.

"I am." Kris said. She stepped towards him until they were a breath's space away from each other and grabbed his arm without being asked to. Immediately the two disappeared with a soft pop and Kris found herself in the dock areas of Greater London.

In the far distance she could see the silhouette of the Wasp as the fog moved in, but for some reason she wasn't keen on boarding her ship yet. She was having such a nice time, a feeling she hadn't experienced in months since Tommy's death and now Thorpe of all people had to ruin it.

"That kinda' sucked." Harry said, breaking the silence. He leaned on the railing and watched the docked ships and Kris moved beside him a few moments later. He smiled when he heard her snort and looked at his companion.

"We had fun didn't we?" Harry asked. "Before that idiot ruined it."

"We did." Kris agreed. "I wish he didn't have to die though, he was innocent."

"You're handling it well, survivor's guilt I mean." Harry explained when he noticed Kris' curious look. "I'm guessing it's not the first you had men killed under your command."

"I've had so many good men and women killed following my orders." Kris said. "Sometimes I wish I wasn't born a Longknife."

"War is that." Harry replied. "It's ugly, and it kills the best and brightest of us. Sometimes I ask myself if I should keep fighting, but then if I quit more of my comrades would die, and the sacrifices of those who have died would become meaningless."

"So you just suck it up and continue fighting for what you believe." Harry finished. By now Kris was looking at him with her mouth agape, surprised by his words.

"That's so..." Kris whispered.

"If you say cheesy I'll throw you to the docks." Harry grinned. "Come on, I think a good long walk to your ship would be best."

"So... what do you think of Earth today?" Kris asked. They had been walking for more than five minutes in companionable silence and realized that the Wasp was farther along than they guessed.

Harry didn't answer right away as he once again observed the holographic signboards mounted on the buildings. "I'm surprised that not a lot has changed. The technology has jumped leaps and bounds, but human society hasn't changed one bit. I'm disappointed though when I realized something was missing here."

"Missing?"

"I was eager to see what the magical world will be like in the future. You know, see how my world would cope with the rapid improvements of technology." Harry said. "But it's gone, everything's gone, it's like magic didn't even exist."

"What do you mean?" Kris asked.

"When I walk around London back in my time, I can usually feel a few people who have the same capabilities or potential that I have." Harry said. "Now, there's nothing."

"Nothing?" Kris asked. "What ability are you looking for?"

"Those with magic." Harry said. "Everyone I've met doesn't have any magic at all."

"That was why you were appearing in random locations throughout London." Kris observed.

"Yeah." Harry said glumly, suddenly looking put out by being reminded of his failure.

"Don't worry Harry." Kris said. "Maybe you haven't looked hard enough. Professor mFumbo has a great team of boffins with him, maybe they could help you."

"Thanks Kris." Harry smiled. "Now why don't we head back? I think your crew might get worried, it's getting pretty late."

"Oh, you're right." She noticed that her shoulders were touching and that their faces were just inches apart and she blushed again.

"Nelly, tell Jack that were on our way back to the ship." Kris said vocally for Harry's sake.

"I am sending reports to The Wasp every hour." Nelly responded.

"What reports?"

"Jack was worried so he talked to Sam to convince me to send video packages on how you were doing." Nelly said. "Frankly, I thought it was_ bloody stupid_."

Harry laughed when heard Nelly trying to copy his accent. "Nice Nelly. Why were you so quiet throughout the day though? That's not like you from what I've seen this week."

"It's quite rude to interrupt two people on a date. Cara told me to remain as discreet as possible." Nelly said. "Abby said that three's a crowd and you would prefer spending time with Harry in a quiet atmosphere."

"Date?" Kris exchanged glances with Harry, but the young man was coughing when he heard Nelly's reply.

"We were not on a date Nelly. We just ate dinner." Kris insisted, though she could feel her cheeks tingle and she knew she was blushing. Damn her pale skin that made the red in her cheeks stand out.

"Oh." Nelly sounded disappointed. "Most of the crew thought you were in a date."

Kris sighed and continued walking. They had some more minutes to go and the only thing they heard were their footsteps echoing on the pavement while the beam of light from the lighthouse occasionally flashed by them.

"So is this how your typical day is?" Harry asked trying to start a conversation, unable to bear the awkward silence between them. "A day of excitement, and then assassins trying kill you?"

"That's about it." Kris said. "To be honest, I'm surprised that your taking this well."

"I'm used to this kind of stuff." Harry said, and for some reason Kris knew he wasn't just bragging. "Trust me, I've experienced worse."

They had finally reached the ship and there were two marines guarding the ramp  
to the ship.

"Welcome back mam." Gunny said, grinning at the Wardhaven princess. "Looks like you had an exciting day." Corporal Bruce added.

Kris gave the two marines a slight smile and continued walking and found the ship almost empty of personnel. "Where is everyone?"

"They're watching the latest video packet I sent." Nelly said. "Sam said that they were all in the scientist's compartment, while the few that couldn't fit in were watching at the mess."

"Where's Captain Drago?" Kris said, getting irritated.

"He is with Professor mFumbo and Aunt Truddy at the lab compartment." Nelly said.

Kris walked through the walkways at a furious pace, and she followed the sound where the cheers and whistles got louder.

"Are they watching a game?" Harry asked.

"No, but I have an idea of what they're watching." Kris said through gritted teeth. Harry thought she looked quite scary when angry and tried to hang back but she reached behind her and grabbed his wrist, pulling him along with her.

_"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"_

Kris heard the cheer and slammed the button to the door to slide open. The noise inside was deafening as everyone cheered and whistled while in the very end of the room a video of Harry and Kris was displayed. By the looks of it they were both leaning on the rail while they looked at the silhouette of the Wasp.

"What is this?" Kris demanded.

The noise in the room slowly died down when they saw Kris Longknife looking at them, her clenched fists on her waist. A few of the marines roaming around the audience trying to collect bets ducked, trying to hide from the angry Wardhaven princess.

"It was Jack's idea to watch you." Cara said instantly, pointing to the Marine lieutenant beside Abby.

"Aren't you supposed to be sleeping now?" Abby asked her niece.

"I wanted to see them kiss first." Cara pouted.

"Fun's over marines." Kris said, struggling to maintain her neutral expression. "Back to your bunks."

"Good date princess."

"Yeah, the dinner at Venice is very romantic."

Kris heard a few comments from the female marines and it took all her will power not to scream at them that she wasn't on a date. Her ire at the man responsible for this grew, and once most of the marines were gone she confronted Jack Montoya.

"What do you think you were doing?" Kris demanded as she raised her clenched fists on her hips. "I understand on asking Nelly for reports, but you were supposed to respect my privacy!"

"It got out of control." Jack said slowly, hoping to placate the angry princess. "Abby and Cara came in first in my room looking for Harry since Cara's bunny changed back to the cup."

"Then we saw you at the ice cream parlor and I wanted to watch how a real princess dates!" Cara exclaimed. "I wish I found my prince too, but that's only for princesses."

"Then word spread from there when Sam told me what Jack and Nelly were doing." Tru said, hiding a smile. "I was busy with Professor mFumbo, so I asked Sam to relay an image to the view screen so I can see what you were up to."

"The few marines that helped us unload these boxes saw what you two were doing and called their fellow marines to watch and that's how it started." Professor mFumbo added.

"I'm sorry Kris." Jack said.

"Sorry Princess Kris." Cara said. "I just wanted to see a proper date so when I'm old enough I know how to behave. And a kiss too."

"Yeah, a kiss!" Nelly piped in.

Kris sighed in resignation, and with a move that surprised everyone (including herself), she gave  
Harry a peck on the cheek.

"Yey!" Cara and Nelly shouted.

"What was that for?" Harry asked. He was slightly embarrassed but also amused with Cara's antics.

"That was for saving my life." Kris said. "I haven't thanked you for that either. Thanks Harry."

"Don't worry about it." Harry said. "I owe you, remember?"

"That bullet repelling shield thing was impressive." Jack said to Harry. He was very impressed with Harry's capabilities, and the high caliber bullets bouncing off Kris' head like a thrown paper ball was the icing on the cake. He wished there was armor that could replicate that, but the strengthened nearly transparent body stockings were the only ones that came close, and nowhere near as effective as Harry's magic.

"I almost had a heart attack when I realized you were being ambushed." Aunt Truddy said. "It took Jack and Sam to tell me that Harry was somehow doing something to keep you unharmed. I hope that Thorpe got what he deserved, I'll be sure to have Sam check on his case."

The old woman turned to Harry and said. "And you, Mister Potter. This girl here is like a daughter to me, and if you can protect her like that from here on, I'll pay you. Name your price, and I'll even sell my stocks at Nuu enterprises if you want more."

"I'm sure Ray Longknife and General Tordon Trouble would offer the same to you." Jack looked thoughtful. "That is if they knew you existed that is."

"I don't really need that much money." Harry replied. "I just need enough so to get by and pay Kris what I owe her."

"Harry, you said that you owe me a favor right?" Kris asked.

"Yeah." Harry nodded.

"Why don't you work for me then? Become a member of this crew." Kris said. "Please?"

"You'll get to visit other planets." Tru added.

"I don't have to salute you or anything right?" Harry asked.

"No." Kris smiled. "You'd be a civilian that will be my constant bodyguard. You only report to me."

"Alright." Harry said after a moment of thought. "We'll discuss my fee later."

Kris and Tru smiled while Cara cheered while Jack looked extremely pleased, the burden of protecting Kris was now shared between him and Harry.

The newest member of the Wasp looked around at the people that surrounded him  
and said. "To tell you the truth, I was planning to stay with you guys since I don't know anyone here. I think you're good people, and nobody has tried to use me for their own gain."

"How'd you know?" Jack asked. He was surprised at how Harry had accepted Kris' offer, considering that he had awoken almost 500 years into his future.

"I have my ways." Harry smiled.

Harry was very similar to Kris, Jack realized as he studied the young man standing beside the Wardhaven princess. From what little he knew of Harry from professor mFumbo, he had learned that the young man learned about responsibility and power at a relatively young age, and seemed to excel in situations.

Yes, he would fit the role of Kris' bodyguard nicely, Jack thought. He would just need a crash course on the latest tech that guards and secret service agents use to protect their clients. Even though Harry had his own considerable and far more effective way of protecting Kris, it wouldn't hurt to train him to  
use nanos and shoot some of the weapons.

ooo

_London Naval Base, firing range_

"Shit."

Harry ducked his head in embarrassment as the red lights activated in his area, indicating that he was way off target.

"I know it's hard to maintain the posture at first." Kris walked behind him and guided his hands to the correct position.

"Now breathe in, and squeeze the trigger before you exhale."

Harry eyed the target 75 yards from his position and checked his sights one last time. He took a deep breath and as he exhaled he squeezed the trigger.

FOOM!

FOOM!

FOOM!

Harry felt the slight recoil of the gun at his shoulder and finished emptying his clip at the target. Kris had decided to train Harry herself, since she got high scores in the firing range at boot camp and was qualified enough to instruct beginners.

"Good." Kris said from beside his shoulder. "But next time keep the bursts to two rounds. That would minimize the recoil. For suppression fire you can fire up to six rounds."

Harry nodded and aimed his issued M-6 at the target. Two bursts later an image beside the wall appeared, showing his target 75 yards away.

"Better." Kris smiled. "You'd pass quite well if you applied for the navy or the marines."

"I'm not really the type that follows orders." Harry cheekily. He awkwardly removed the magazine of the M6 and checked the chamber if a round was left inside. Satisfied, he swung the M-6 on his back like he had seen Jack and a few marines do. "I don't think I'd do well in the Navy."

Jack and Penny and Abby were watching Kris coach Harry along with the rest of the marines that had finished their shooting exercises at the firing range. Smiles split their faces when they saw Kris position herself behind Harry, guiding his arms with hers while her head leaned closer to his, guiding his aim.

"You think the princess would do that to me if my accuracy percentage went down?" A marine asked. The rest of the marines snickered and continued to observe their princess give encouragement to Harry.

"In your dreams Bruce" A female marine said.

"She looks happy." Abby said.

"I've never seen Kris this relaxed before, ever since the battle for Wardhaven." Penny said.

"Ever since Tommy" Jack said giving Penny a sad look.

"I think we all changed that day." Penny whispered. "I miss my husband."

ooo

_On board the Wasp_

Kris looked at her watch and headed to her room. "I'll be doing some PT with a few marines at the gym room. Let's head there and test your endurance."

"Sure." Harry said. He grabbed the plain white shirt and shorts in his locker and followed Kris into the gym that was normally used by marines to stay in shape during long flights. Spending time in zero g for weeks was unavoidable at times, and it had the irritating side effect of weakening bones and causing  
muscle mass to shrink.

"Let's work on the treadmill first." Kris suggested as she approached him.

"We'll do a walk for five minutes and increase the pace from there. Do you think you can keep up with me?"

"Bring it on Kris." Harry said.

Nelly turned on both machines at the same time and Harry and Kris started to walk. Harry thought that he could keep up with Kris and even surpass her. Then Kris started to move, and her long legs showing off her muscles as they flexed and suddenly Harry doubted if he could even last against her. He short shorts were also distracting, complicating things further for him.

The two treadmills soon increased their speed, and Harry was jogging, his long legs matching Kris' stride.

"You're in great shape." Harry said after ten minutes of a quick jog. He noticed that Kris didn't look tired, though she was sweating heavily like him.

The treadmill picked up the pace and Nelly announced that this will be the final setting. Harry nearly slipped at the increased speed but quickly compensated. He was breathing heavily now, and his sides ached.

"Give up?" Harry gasped.

"Not on your life." Kris panted

By now the two had attracted a small crowd in the gym, and more than a few were placing bets on who they thought will win. Both looked like they were on their final legs but their sheer stubbornness and determination to win combined with a strong will pushed both past the edge.

It wasn't clear on who gave up first, since Harry stumbled on the treadmill and tried to catch up. His shoe caught on the fast moving belt and he yelped, and that had distracted Kris and she too missed a step, and began to falter in her stride.

However, it was clear that Harry was the one that hit the exercise mat before the thud of Kris falling a second later was heard.

"Hah!" Kris exclaimed triumphantly, breathing hard and grinning like a she just won the championship of skiff racing. It was she could say, as she breathed heavily while she lay down on the floor.

"You just got lucky." Harry said. "I think your computer cheated."

"She did not!" Kris insisted.

"No way!" Nelly agreed.

ooo

It had been a week since Harry had agreed to work for Kris, and the princess of Wardhaven and her crew were surprised at his change of demeanor. He sometimes goofed around when he was off duty, but whenever Kris went out of the ship to attend some party hosted by an Earth senator, Harry would show his serious side, reminding them of the powerful being they had first encountered on Earth.

He was more wary of the unfamiliar faces that approached Kris, his face an impassive mask as he looked around for any threat against the princess of Wardhaven. It also helped that he continued to use passive legillimency, seeing the most recent memories of the people around him.

Kris had also found Harry's reaction to her conservatively designed dress amusing. He became flustered and blushed easily when she wore her dress, which he thought was very revealing. After persistent questions by Nelly (with Kris' secret urging) he admitted that she looked good with her dress.

This considerably bolstered Kris' confidence. She always had herself doubts when she prepared to go to a party full of beautiful and expensively modified women, whose full breasts made her own b-cup look out of place. She was also tall for her height, with her six feet making her stand out among  
the crowd, a trait she blamed on Grampa Trouble.

Abby finished attaching her order of the wounded Lion, Earth's highest military honor on her dress and she faced the mirror on her room and inspected her face.

"You're nose isn't too big."

Kris smiled and attached the earrings that Abby handed her. "Harry, I won't ask how you guessed what I was thinking."

"Lucky guess." Harry replied.

"Kris here thinks her nose is too big." Abby said.

"It's fine." Harry said. He thought Kris' nose looked perfectly normal and then he remembered the various women he had met in balls and parties he attended.

Most had significantly smaller noses and flawless smooth skins, with great curves, and Harry thought it was a bit peculiar.

"Genetic engineering." Abby explained when he shared with her his observations. "Those that can afford, use expensive genetic modifications to alter their children's appearance. I think most humans  
alive have undergone several generations of genetic manipulation."

"Why did they do that?" Harry asked.

"When Humanity started to explore the galaxy, they needed to eliminate the genetic defects that usually plague them, like smallpox and the measles." Abby explained. "I guess it picked up from there, to the point that parents wanted their own children to have this height, or color of eyes or hair..."

"I get it." Harry replied.

"Nice suit." Kris looked at her bodyguard and was pleasantly surprised with how Harry looked in it, rather than the usual Wardhaven dress uniform. It would be the first time that Harry would be Kris' official escort, after going with Jack for the past few parties.

Jack had lent him his jacket, and after Harry made a few modifications on it, it now fit him perfectly like a custom made glove.

"Thanks." Harry said. He was clearly uncomfortable with the tie he wore and Kris took pity on him and moved towards him.

"You need to loosen this up a bit." Kris said as she adjusted his tie. "And you won't wear it for long, when the dancing starts you should remove that and place it in your pocket."

"I don't like to dance." Harry said.

"You don't have a choice." Kris said as she slid her arm through Harry's. "I'd rather dance with you the whole night than let one of those creeps dance me and try to grope my butt."

"Don't worry, no one will try that tonight." Harry said. He noticed that Jack and Abby were also dressed up for the ball and figured that they would be going to the ball as a couple.

"Are there any others that will be part of the security?" Harry asked.

"No, it's just the three of you." Kris said. She hooked her arm around his and they moved down the walkway towards the black car waiting for them.

"So the magic thing's all set up?" Jack asked Harry.

"Yeah." Harry said. "I just cast the spell on her and anchored it to her necklace to make sure it won't vanish even if I get knocked out."

Jack nodded in approval and slapped Harry on the back. "Enjoy the night Harry."

It turned out that it was Gunny who will be acting as their driver today. And he gave a wink at Harry and Jack, conveying in guy talk that they had beautiful dates on their arms.

"I honestly thought you'd be stepping my toes by now." Kris joked. They had been dancing for the better part of the night, and to Kris' surprise Harry was not half bad. With a few lessons, Harry could become a very decent dancer.

"I'm not that hopeless." Harry said. "I had a few dance lessons in school. What I'm surprised is how little ball room dancing has changed."

"It's a very traditionalist type of dance." Kris said. She noticed Harry was distracted and turned them around to see what he was looking at.

"Kris, what's she wearing?" Harry stared at a particularly beautiful woman with strange orbs rotating around her. He could see that almost a good part of her breasts were exposed whenever one of the orbs rotated, as well as her torso and buttocks.

"Oh that." Kris grinned. "That's the new trend that's starting to pick up around here. Abby suggested I try it out."

"What is she wearing?" Harry asked.

"Nothing." Kris answered with a straight face.

"What do you mean nothing?"

"She's not wearing a stitch of fabric on her." Kris replied with a grin, enjoying the sight of a flustered Harry.

"You mean she's practically naked?" Harry asked. He wanted one of the orbs to move so that he could see more.

"Those orbs that rotate around her are controlled by nanos and projectors." Kris said. "I suppose that it would be a very refreshing uhmm... outfit, but if her computer malfunctioned..."

"Merlin." Harry whispered.

"And to think Abby wanted me to try it out, but that thing she wears requires a good amount of computer power to maintain. I suspect she has slaved her computer to maintain that alone."

"I can do it Kris without even breaking a sweat." Nelly said proudly.

"Nelly..." Kris warned. "I will not be caught wearing, or rather trying out that thing."

"Too bad." Harry said, and Kris shot him a look of surprise. "I was just joking!"

"Prat." Kris slapped his shoulder.

Harry noticed that slight sheen of sweat on Kris forehead, and his bare hand on her back felt her sweat. "Do you want to take a break?"

"I need a drink." Kris admitted. For some reason, the senator that hosted the party decided to have it in his large garden, and it was a warm night outside. Harry led the princess of Wardhaven through the ballroom floor and took a couple of drinks from a tray carried by a passing waiter.

"This job's harder than I thought." Harry said. Being an escort meant that more people took an interest on him and if it wasn't for Kris he had been long lost in the conversation that various guests started when they approached them.

"It's not that bad." Kris tried to look insulted, and then cracked a smile, unable to remain serious seeing Harry's face. She took a sip of her drink and savored it as it soothed her parched throat.

"Can I have this dance, princess?"

Kris smiled and offered her hand to Jack, while Abby took Kris' seat beside Harry on the bar.

"Looks like you're enjoying yourself." Abby said.

"Yep." Harry replied. "Can I ask you a question?"

"I'll answer your question if I'm cleared to do so." Abby replied. "What is it?"

"I'm just surprised that everyone in the ship is agreeing to hide the truth about my past and my abilities"

Abby looked thoughtful for a moment, obviously she was thinking her answer through before she replied.

"Harry, Kris' great grandfather labeled this mission to look for ancient artifacts of the Three of the highest priority. We were looking for a way to gain an advantage against the Itechee in this mission. " Abby said. "If Kris decides that your identity and abilities should remain a secret, then we won't  
question her judgment."

"You know that I'm no descendant of an ancient intergalactic alien species." Harry said slowly.

"Yes, but you're more than helpful to us. Maybe your powers can lead us to more artifacts of the Three." Abby speculated.

"I think they were the one that captured me." Harry said.

"How did you come up with that?"

"When I was being trapped and I tried to fight back." Harry said. "I unleashed my full power, but nothing worked. I felt this alien energy, so powerful and vast that surrounded me that, I could barely move a finger."

"If you, a person that can almost do anything say that about the Three, then I'd rather not meet them." Abby said slowly, she was clearly troubled by what Harry said. Eager to change the topic, she crossed her legs and glanced at Kris and Jack and continued their earlier topic. "You were curious on why the crew never spilled your secrets?"

"Yeah."

"You'll find that everyone in the Wasp's ship is completely loyal to Wardhaven, and to Kris." Abby said. "Before we met you, the Wasp's crew experienced many hardships together, fought many battles, and suffered heavy casualties."

Harry nodded and remained silent, and waited for her to continue while he kept an eye on Kris.

"The marines and the crew keep your secret because Kris asked them too." Abby said. "And Kris asked them that no one beyond the ship will know about what you can do. Even King Ray doesn't know about you."

"Why did she do that?" Harry asked.

"She's afraid that other people, even her family will use you just because of your abilities." Abby said.

"That's awfully nice of her." Harry said as he glanced at the dancing pair. "She must be quite the leader to inspire her men..."

"And women." Abby added.

"...and women that much." Harry finished. He looked again at Kris, she was walking back to their spot and he gave her a small smile. He was more determined to take his responsibility as Kris' bodyguard seriously.

Kris and Abby immediately looked alert and Harry surmised that they had received a message from their computers.

"Don't you wear a computer too?" Harry asked Jack.

"I have one." Jack said. "But that has the unique function of being turned off when I want to."

"We better head back to the Wasp." Kris said, looking serious. "It's from Grampa Ray."

Harry dispersed the silencing charm around their table and the four quickly walked out of the ballroom, past politicians who wanted to get another photo opportunity with her.

"What's the situation?" Kris asked as Penny who had just woken up accompanied her to the bridge.

"We are receiving a data packet, heavily encrypted by Wardhaven intelligence." Penny said.

"It only means one thing if it it's heavily encrypted." Kris said. "It's a mission order."

"I'm playing it now." Nelly reported.

"Kris, there's been a complication in the front lines." Ray Longknife said. "The Greenfeld ships are asking that I send someone to rescue Victoria Peterwald. Her ship has been attacked in an ambush and she's stuck in a planet in beyond rim space where a few Itechee ships are seen roaming."

Kris frowned and immediately thought of a rescue plan.

"Crossenshield's intelligence indicates that a company of Itechee Warriors are on the planet, searching for her."Ray Longknife added. "I'm sending the coordinates to the planet now."

"Xanadu?" Captain Drago asked. "What is a Greenfeld ship doing there?"

"I don't know." Penny said. "As far as I know Victoria Peterwald should be safe in Greenfeld. Her father wouldn't allow her to risk venturing in the front lines." Kris said.

"The combined fleet will make a counter attack when the Helvetica fleet arrives to bolster our ranks. That will draw the ships in orbit around Xanadu to the front lines while you swoop in through the jump point and rescue Miss Peterwald."

"Take care Kris." Ray said.

The image flickered out and everyone on the bridge turned to Kris for orders.

"Prepare the Wasp." Kris said. "Were heading out."

ooo

"Now those are some wicked looking ships." Harry said as the Wasp moved past the assembled Earth Battle fleet. Flickers of light sparked all around the Super Battle cruisers, obviously they were under heavy repair. Hundreds of smaller transport and maintenance ships flew in a constant stream of traffic to and from the shipyards.

"They are our big guns." Kris murmured. She was busy checking the weapons systems of the Wasp, while Penny pre- configured the data for high g stations.

"We're all clear Captain!" The helmsman reported.

"Take us to Jump point delta, Earth system. Then we'll take the beta jump at Wardhaven for refitting before we head back to Xanadu."

"Aye sir." Slowan said. "Course is plotted."

"Refitting?" Jack asked.

"Al wanted the Wasp to stop over in the Nuu dockyards." Truddy replied as she sat beside the marine lieutenant at the very back of the bridge.

"What for?" Jack asked. "Isn't the Wasp armed enough for combat?"

"Yes." Kris replied from her consoled. "But the Wasp was initially disguised as a merchant ship to lure pirates at the outer rim. Now, we are refitting the ship for war."

"Prepare for high g stations." Drago ordered.

"Oh these old bones of mine aren't used to this." Aunt Truddy muttered as she prepared to buckle down on her seat.

"Initializing high g stations, captain." Penny said, as she punched in the necessary commands for the smart metal.

Harry suddenly felt the back rest of his chair move closer to the ground, to the point he was almost lying on his back. His arm rests moved with his arms, fully supporting them while the same happened to his legs. Unlike Kris' station, Harry only had one monitor move closer to his face. He looked to his side and saw Kris with five monitors and a series of joysticks and controls readily available near her right hand.

"Engineering, accelerate to four gees" Captain Drago said.

"Aye captain."

Harry felt a lurch, similar to when he rode a roller coaster, but the feeling of being squashed into his chair never left him, and he suddenly found himself weighing three times his body weight. Harry bit his teeth and looked at Kris, she only wore a frown on her face, the only indication of her discomfort.

"Awesome." Harry whispered. Kris looked at his direction and gave him a faint smile.

"You haven't seen nothing yet Harry."

ooo

_Wardhaven_

The Wasp arrived at Wardhaven and her crew was stunned at the amount of activity around the planet. The space around the planet was bristling with hundreds and hundreds of ships of all sizes, from transport ships full of evacuees to presidential class cruisers guarding the jump points.

PT boats circled the large military ships, ready to shoot down any civilian ship that got too close to the cruisers for a suicide attack.

"Send out the signal, I want to talk to the Admiral right away." Kris said.

"What's happening here?" Harry asked.

"The Wardhaven fleet is based here, and obviously it's a possible target for the Itechee." Penny said. "Captain, Someone's hailing us."

"Put them on screen." Captain Drago ordered.

The image of a balding man with gray hair appeared on the screen, wearing the uniform of a colonel. "Identify yourself. You haven't joined the designated route for civilian ships."

"This is the Wardhaven patrol ship the Wasp, back from our mission." Captain Drago said.

"The Wasp?" The man asked. "Then that must mean..."

"Yes, we have Lieutenant Longknife on board. We're heading to high Wardhaven before docking to the Nuu shipyards." Drago replied calmly.

"The princess!" The colonel whispered. "I'll contact King Ray immediately, as well as the Prime minister. We hadn't expected you for a few more days."

"Seeing that the message from grampa Ray is important, I thought we better get back here as soon as we can." Kris entered the conversation as she activated her communications device on her console.

"Princess Kristine Ann Longknife!" The colonel gasped.

Harry snickered when he heard her full name, but he immediately shut up when he saw the glare Kris gave him.

"It's good to have you back. I'll have two PT boats escort the Wasp through this mess." The colonel said.

"What's happening colonel?" Kris asked. She was surprised with the way he addressed her usually Navy types addressed her with her Navy rank, not her political title.

"Everyone's panicking." The colonel muttered. "We get more and more refugees and tourists coming here by the ship load, convinced that Wardhaven defense forces can protect them from the Itechee."

"That's ridiculous." Kris said. "Don't they know that they'll be safer if they stayed on their planets? Wardhaven's a military target to the Itechee. Sooner or later they'll come here."

"That's what King Ray and General Trouble is telling them, but they won't listen." The colonel said. "I've just received a message from King Ray, he wants to meet you as soon as possible. He'll be waiting at the palace."

"We have a palace?" Kris asked.

"The old Longknife home." The Colonel chuckled. "That's what their calling it now."

Kris was sure that her mother had something to with renaming her old house, and wondered what she was up to.

"Thank you for the escort colonel." Captain Drago said.

"It's no problem." The colonel said. "Glad to have you back, Princess Longknife."

The Wasp had landed on Nuu's private dockyards where a team of Engineers waited for them, eager to install the latest advancements in smart metal technology. At the request of Kris, Captain Drago gave the marine company and most of the crew a two day shore leave. As the Wasp lowered her ramp, most of the marines could barely contain themselves, eager to spend their free time on the famous  
Wardhaven luxury resorts.

Kris and Jack headed towards the car that Grampa Al had provided for her when the marine lieutenant spotted Harry standing beside the ship, staring at the orbital elevator that connected the planet to High Wardhaven station.

"Kris, your bodyguard is getting left behind." Jack said.

The princess of Wardhaven followed Jack's gaze and spotted Harry looking at the superstructure where the elevator cars traveled up and down the planet.

"Hey." Kris patted Harry's shoulder. "You seem distracted."

"Sorry Kris." Harry said.

"This is your first time near an orbital elevator right?" Kris asked.

Harry nodded as his eyes followed a car that shot up towards space while another car slowly landed on the surface, releasing a fountain of steam as he heard a loud hiss. "It's unbelievable. This planet too, the buildings look so... different."

"Welcome to Wardhaven." Kris smiled. "This is my home. Let's go, grampa Ray's waiting for me."

Harry nodded and followed Kris while he continued to stare at the large building of Nuu enterprises and the odd looking cars smoothly travelling down wide roads.

Harry followed Kris inside the car and noticed its very luxurious interior. The man driving greeted Kris, Jack and Abby and looked curiously at him.

"Harvey, this is Harry, my new bodyguard." Kris introduced the two men. Harvey and Harry exchanged a quick handshake before the older man gunned the engine and the car smoothly drove past the private shipyard.

"New bodyguard huh." Harvey said once they joined the fast moving traffic. "I've never seen you before. Are you a Wardhaven citizen?"

"He's born at Earth." Jack said.

"Earth?" Harvey frowned.

"Don't worry Harvey, Harry's more than capable of protecting our princess. He did a fine job back there." Jack said.

"Heard about that." Harvey said. "Newsies reported that you managed to catch Thorpe. Good job."

"Sure." Harry replied, not really listening as he stared out the window. He was sure the animals he'd seen grazing at a pasture didn't belong to the known animal kingdom.

"You should have seen your King Ray, Kris." Harvey said. "He wanted to get his hands on Thorpe when he heard the news."

"It's too bad we don't have an extradition treaty with Earth." Kris said. "How goes the war Harvey?"

"It's better than expected." The old man replied. "I think we might have surprised them with our smart metal tech. Those Itechee bastards were expecting those hulking battleships, but we managed to deal more damage to them."

"So it's a draw then?" Jack asked.

"This isn't widely known, but General Tordon has managed to drive those Itechee back past Chance."

"And that opens a path to Xanadu." Abby said.

The large white car for the exclusive use of the Longknifes rolled down the driveway, where dozens of secret service agents patrolled the perimeter.

"I've never seen that many guards before." Kris said.

"That's not for the Itechee, but for the newsies. They keep on trying to sneak inside the compound, they're really milking this war." Harvey said.

"I think that's Honovi." Jack indicated a large blue car parked at the driveway. Kris' older brother had followed their father's footsteps into politics, while she followed the path of her great grandfathers and joined the Navy."

"He's been coming around more often than before. Your father's really training him to run for office next term."

"What position?" Kris asked. She had been a campaign manager for her father in her childhood, tagging along with her parents in the boring political rallies and the campaign trail across the systems.

"Minister for transportation." Harvey replied. "Not too high, but it's a nice jumping point if your father decides to retire from his office."

"I don't think that's going to happen soon." Kris said. The car stopped and one of the agents opened the door and Harry climbed out and offered a hand to Kris.

"This is where you live?" Harry asked, eyeing the massive building that wouldn't have looked out of place beside the renaissance buildings of France.

"All my life." Kris said. She spotted a figure in the distance and her eyes widened. "Quick, Jack, Abby, let's go."

"Why... oh." Jack spotted Kris' mother along with her high society friends walking down the garden path. As usual, those old women had their sons tagging along, hoping to marry them into the powerful and rich Longknife family.

"Go! Before she spots us!" Kris manhandled Harry and headed up the grand staircase to where she knew her room was located, unless mother decided to renovate again.

"Kris, your mother's computer is sending you a message."

"I really don't have time for her Nelly, I'm supposed to meet grampa Ray." Kris said. "Can you find out Grampa's location?"

"He's in his office Kris." Nelly said.

"Good, I won't have go back down." Kris said. She moved past the door to her room and knocked on a beautifully engraved door.

"Come in Kris."

The princess of Wardhaven opened the door and smiled when she saw both her great grampas smiling at her.

"Grampa!" Kris walked to the two war heroes and hugged them both at the same time and Harry could see where Kris got her height and build from. General Trouble, or Tordon was a tall man, reaching six foot six while Ray Longknife stood at an even six feet, the same height as his great granddaughter. Kris  
didn't have a chance dodging the `tall' gene.

"How have you been Kris?" Ray asked as he held his great granddaughter at an arms' length.

"I'm fine Grampa." Kris replied. "Really. Your old friend General Ho took care of us."

"Jack, had problems keeping up with my little princess?" General Trouble asked.

"It's not my problem anymore... mostly." Jack nodded at Harry who was the only person standing up in the room.

"Passed the torch did you?" Ray asked as the two great war heroes eyed the young man. Jack had been selected as Kris' bodyguard because he had been the best that King Ray managed to find from among the hundreds of possible candidates.

Jack was once a marine lieutenant in the old Society Navy before he had been chosen by the brass to serve as an elite secret service agent to protect the Longknifes from assassins. He signed back with the marines to keep an eye on Kris as the young woman found herself in situations that a secret service agent couldn't keep up with.

"What's your name?" Ray asked.

"Harry Potter sir." The young man that stood at Kris' height replied. "She recruited me when she was on Earth."

"British?"

"Yes sir." Harry replied.

"Hmmm..." King Ray was obviously thinking hard. "You've seen action? You're pretty young."

"More than I would have liked." Harry said. Jack beckoned him to sit down and he sat on the couch beside Kris.

"It's strange, I couldn't keep find anything about you, other than the media reports in the past week." Ray said. He looked at his great granddaughter and she smiled and nodded, telling him that she trusted the young man.

"Hummm" General Trouble scratched his chin. "If Kris here trusts you to keep her alive, then I suppose I better trust her judgment."

"Trust me General Trouble, Harry's the most capable and suited person to keep an eye on Kris here." Jack said. "Even with her... Longknife Luck."

"High praise, coming from you." Ray Longknife observed. "Very well, let's get on with the meeting. You know why you're here Kris?"

"Vicky Peterwald needs to be rescued." Kris said. "You've pushed back the Itechee past Chance, that opens up the jump points so that I can sneak in to Xanadu."

"You guessed it." General Trouble replied. "Al will outfit the Wasp with a series of new engines, and that should allow your ship to outrun any Itechee ship you encounter."

"The jump to Xanadu will be easy, it's the drop to Xanadu that will be the problem." Ray said. "And I know you're the best LAC pilot out there, Kris."

"She should be, with all the Skiff races she has won over the years." General Trouble said.

"Harry, I want you to keep an eye on Kris here. She has a knack for attracting all sorts of trouble." Ray said. "Can I trust you to keep Kris safe?"

"She won't even get a scratch." Harry said and winked at Kris, causing her and Jack to laugh.

"You two seem confident of his abilities." Ray observed. He felt that Kris and Jack were keeping something from him, and he knew it was about her new bodyguard's past.

"Grampa. Like Jack said, Harry is the most suited person to keep an eye on me." Kris said. "He was the one that caught Thorpe and his henchmen in Venice."

"Yes Thorpe." Ray frowned at the mention of the name. "I tried to ask Ho to ship his ass back to Wardhaven but he doesn't have any jurisdiction on civilian matters."

The meeting lasted for more than an hour, and Harry was deeply impressed with knowledge and planning the old men had prepared for Kris' mission. He was not sure where Kris got her tactical mind from since both Ray and Tordon seemed to master tacticians when it comes to battle.

"Oh and Kris?" Ray asked. The meeting had finally ended and the trio were about to head to Aunt Tru's apartment when King Ray stopped them.

"Yes grampa?"

"You know your mother has organized a welcoming dinner for you." Ray said.

"How many people?" Kris asked as she frowned.

"Three hundred at the least." Ray replied. "Most of her friends have their daughters engaged or married, and she really wants you to tie yourself down with a proper young man."

Kris' face soured, and Harry and Jack shared an amused grin.

"I can't wait to disappoint her." Kris said. Without thought she grabbed Harry's arm and led started for the door. "Let's go Harry, I can't wait to show you the computer Aunt Tru's making for you."

As the door closed, the two war heroes pondered Kris and Jack's words about the new bodyguard.

"Most suited?" General Trouble asked his old friend.

"I don't have a clue either. She's keeping something from us, and it's about him." Ray replied.

"Maybe that's her boyfriend?" General Trouble suggested. "Has our little Kris finally found a man that can keep up with her?"

"Don't tell that to her mother." Ray warned. "If she even hears rumors of that, good lord... she's obsessed with having grandbabies. She keeps on pressuring poor Honovi to marry already."

"She'll have a wedding planned within minutes." Tordon shook his head. "Best to keep it quiet then."

ooo

_The Wasp, Wardhaven low orbit_

"Does it have to be so tight?" Harry complained.

"The armor only works if it's that tight." Jack was issued standard full battle armor and just as he guessed, Harry had the size 5 like Jack wore.

"How do you handle the heat wearing this thing." Harry asked, rotating his arm to check if it impeded his movement.

"There's an environmental control system in each space suit." Jack said. "The cooling systems' necessary when we do orbital drops using the LACs."

"There we go." Jack stepped back after he finished pressurizing the suit. "Can you hear me Harry?"

Harry nodded once and then realized that the suit has a built in intercom system in the helmet. "I hear you just fine."

"Try moving your limbs, see if something is bothering you. Remember, spacers are used to wearing that suit for days on end."

Harry took a quick lap around the armory and sat down on the bench. "I feel like something is digging in on my shoulder when I twist like this."

"Where?"

"Right here." Harry tapped with his hand the spot that he felt dug to skin when he moved.

Jack removed a strange looking screwdriver from his own armor that had an octagon end and tinkered with the space suit right above where Harry felt the metal digging in his skin. The pressure released and Harry rotated his shoulders in comfort. Without being asked, he ran one more time around the armory and stopped in front of Jack and raised his faceplate.

"I don't feel anything weird anymore." Harry said. Jack nodded and recorded the settings in the suit in case that Harry quickly needed a new one.

"You boys ready yet?" Kris entered the room, already wearing her space battle suit.

"Almost." Jack said. "I'm making final checks on Harry's suit."

"Tell me again why I need to do this?" Harry asked.

"If you're planning to watch my back all the time, then you have to experience the most dangerous exercise that the Navy does. The orbital drop." Kris grinned.

"It's a very difficult maneuver that only the top pilots and marines can do." Jack added. "It's mainly used as a covert assault on an enemy position. It's virtually undetectable, since the LACs are so light and have a cross section that deflects the radar waves so that they can't be detected by most defense  
systems."

"And Kris said that it would be a free fall till the last hundred meters?" Harry asked.

"That's right." Kris said. She inspected Harry's suit and nodded, giving the signal for Harry to follow her.

"Hop in." Kris pointed to a small looking plane with no visible motor or engine. Its wings were folded, they would only be released after the air became thick enough to provide lift for the craft.

"In that can?" Harry asked. The ten marines that were inside the LAC laughed at his reaction. They were now used to the very small LAC, and had drilled countless hours with the dangerous exercise. Luckily the LAC pilots on board the Wasp were among the best in the navy.

"Yes in that can!" Kris snapped. "Now get your butt seated."

Harry nodded and squeezed himself shoulder to shoulder with the Wardhaven marines. They were locked into their seats by metal clams on their shoulders, while their M-6s rifles were positioned between their legs.

Before leaving for Xanadu, Kris had insisted on one practice orbital drop on Wardhaven. Usually her marines did not need to practice, but this would be the first time the whole Marine company would drop, along with their supplies.

For ordinary missions Kris and her marines would only use two LACs, but now they were using eight. She wanted to test the skill of the new pilots before she led her men into the fray.

"This is Lieutenant Longknife." Kris tapped her communications switch on her helmet. "I want all pilots to perform the final inspection of their LACs."

"Yes Mam!" The pilots said over the comm.

Once each of the pilots gave their reports, Kris contacted Captain Drago on the bridge. "We're ready drop captain."

"Acknowledged." Captain Drago replied. "Begin the dive, Slowan. Penny, get ready to release the clamps on the LACs."

The Wasp skimmed Wardhaven's atmosphere, and its bow burned red as it encountered friction.

"Ready to pull up Captain." Slowan said as he steered the ship.

"Release the clamps." Drago ordered.

"Get ready Harry." He heard Kris's voice and looked at the pilot's seat to find her looking at him. "This is the best adrenalin rush you can imagine."

Harry felt the LAC tilt down and he looked ahead and saw surface of Wardhaven, thousands of kilometers below him. Kris mentioned that ninety percent of the exercise would be in freefall. He thought the term `drop' was very appropriate to call this insane exercise.

"Holy... shiiiit!" Harry yelled as LAC 1 slid off its metal plat form and towards the atmosphere.

"Don't worry Harry, you'll get used to it." He heard Kris' voice, but he ignored her as he saw the LAC's folded wings heat up, until they glowed like molten metal. He wasn't bothered about the sensation falling. But seeing the LAC's wing burn bright red scared the shit out of him. He looked at the display panel on his wrist and the gauge told him that the surface temperature of his space battle suit was two hundred degrees.

"We're gonna dieeeee!" Harry yelled.

"Don't do it Kris!" He heard Jack's voice over the comm.

"Do what?" Harry asked as his heart pounded a million times a minute.

He gritted his teeth when he felt his guts leave his body as the LAC performed an incredibly tight turn. He was glad that he didn't have a heavy lunch that afternoon.

"That!" Jack shouted. "Kris! Are you insane?"

"Don't mind Jack." Corporal Andersen said as she patted Harry's knee. "This is the princess' specialty, and she's the only one who can do thiiisss!"

The Lac made a tight turn again, and Harry wondered if he could hold it before his light lunch reappeared. He was sorely tempted to apparate the shit out of the LAC, but Kris gave him strict orders that the weight balance of the LAC was essential and he needed to experience the orbital drop.

Kris never informed him that it was only veterans that were generally allowed to participate in the dangerous exercise. The pilot of LAC 1 looked at her bodyguard and smiled when Nelly fed her a video of his green face, since she couldn't see him past his heat shield visor. She observed as the other LACs  
followed her tail and she turned the small craft again in an S shape turn before she tilted the angle of descent to a more gentle thirty degrees.

"Kris?"

"Yes Harry?"

"Next time, I'll just meet you at the landing site. You're insane."

"Thank you." Kris smiled.

ooo

A/N: This is the revised chapter 2, extended to 20k words.


	3. Chapter 3

Kris Longknife**: Legend**

By** Bluminous**

_**No money has been made from writing this story. All characters belongs to Mike Shepherd and J.K. Rowling**_

ooo

Blatant advertising ahead.

Have you bought Kris Longknife: Undaunted yet? It's book seven of Mike shepherd's Kris Longknife's series. I did.

ooo

**Chapter 3**

_Nuu Shipyards, Wardhaven_

"NO!" Nelly yelled. "Cara stays here!"

"Nelly..." Kris rubbed her temple as she confronted the two friends, one a self organizing super computer and the other a twelve year old girl. "You know why she can't come with us."

"But I want to!" Cara cried out. She turned to the other personnel around the docked Wasp and used her wide eyes to gain support. No Luck, as much as the crew of the Wasp, including the contingent of Marines and scientists grew fond of the young girl, her safety was more important.

"Please princess Longknife?" Cara tried again, tugging on Kris' navy white skirt. "I'll behave, I promise!"

"No."

Cara bit her lip and her eyes moistened, and Kris knew what was coming.

_Sniff... sniff..._

Suddenly Kris' new bodyguard stepped forward and lifted the pre teen girl into his arms. Cara automatically hugged Harry's neck and sobbed in his chest.

"C'mon Cara, be reasonable." Harry whispered in the girl's ear, but still loud enough for those standing around him to hear what he said. "We'll be going somewhere very dangerous, and all of us don't want to risk you getting hurt. We want you to stay with Truddy until we get back from the mission, okay?"

"But I want to go." Cara insisted.

"I want you to go to, but it's not really possible. Even Nelly agrees with me, don't you Nelly?" Harry looked at Kris, rather the computer on her shoulder.

"Yes..." Nelly finally agreed, surprising her owner. "Cara, Harry's right, it would be really dangerous. But we'll be back, right Kris?"

The princess of Wardhaven was slightly annoyed that Nelly seems to listen to Harry instead of its owner and she huffed in irritation.

"Don't mind the grumpy princess, Cara." Harry teased.

"Yeah!" Nelly added. "Don't mind her."

Kris was sorely tempted to turn off Nelly and walked away as some of the marines sniggered behind her back. She shot them a look and they quickly pretended that they were busy loading various equipment on board the ship.

"Be sure to study your lessons" Abby said to her niece. "I'll be checking your progress with Truddy when we get back."

The girl nodded as Harry put her down. He fondly messed Cara's hair and ran off to follow an annoyed princess while four marines accompanied him to keep an eye on Kris.

"And make sure to fulfill your promise, okay?" Abby added.

"I won't tell anyone a word about Harry." Cara vowed.

"Good." Abby leaned down and fondly kissed her niece's cheek and she gave Harvey a nod. He would take the young girl to Trudy's apartment while her aunt accompanied Kris and the crew of the Wasp on their important mission.

ooo

_High Wardhaven_

The senior crew of the Wasp gathered around the console as Admiral Crossenshield, chief of Wardhaven intelligence gave last minute briefs on the status of the stranded Victory Peterwald-Smythe.

"...and it's likely that you'll encounter an Itechee cruiser in the area." Admiral Crossenshield's image flickered for a moment as the latest of the newly refitted Earth Battle fleet emerged from the nearby jump point.

"Where are their carriers?" Captain Drago asked.

"It's near the frontlines along with their Death balls." Crossenshield replied. "We'll be making a push now that the Earth Battle fleet is here, and you'll use that moment to slip through the lines to Xanadu."

As the senior staff, including Kris, discussed possible options in their rescue mission, she ordered her bodyguard to study their adversary in preparation for the drop on Xanadu. The princess of Wardhaven looked at her bodyguard while Crossenshield finished giving his intelligence reports and saw him sitting alone in the corner, while Nelly gave him a quick lecture.

Harry studied the images on the screen that showed an Itechee Warrior in full battle gear. They were humanoid in shape, with four eyes on their heads, four hands and eight legs. It looked like some twisted version of a centaur, without the tail.

"What are those markings supposed to mean?" Harry asked.

"According to Itechee war intelligence eighty years ago, they're supposed to signify the rank of the Warrior in the Itechee Hierarchy." Nelly said. The adolescent computer had jacked the computer console in order to communicate with Harry better, while keeping an eye on the meeting happening on the other side of the room. "The stripes on their torso change colors according to their mood."

"How do they breathe?" He noticed that the four eyed alien in the picture did not have a nose, and it only had a thin strip of dark gray that he guessed acted as a mouth.

"They breathe through slits in their necks." Nelly said. "They may look like gills but they have a similar type of lungs like a human's."

"Hmmm thanks." Harry finished his study for the day and stretched his arms and back. He watched his charge, and stood up and moved closer to the group to grab a few of the snacks on the table.

"No problem Harry." Nelly chimed in. Kris' computer put up a tantrum when the crew left young Cara behind with Truddy Seyd, since the mission they were on was risky. Fortunately for Kris and her marines, Nelly established a budding friendship with Harry.

"Will that be all, Admiral?" Kris asked the image of the chief of Wardhaven Intelligence on the large screen on the wall.

Crossenshield's eyes darted to Harry who was busy stealing a plate of crackers and he looked back at Kris. He waited patiently as Harry headed out of the room before he continued.

"I'd like to get more information about your new bodyguard." Crossenshield said. "The data I have of him is next to nothing. It's like he popped into the system last month! Where did he come from?"

"I met him from Earth." Kris replied. "I already assured Grampa Ray that Harry can be trusted. What is this all about?"

"I don't like it, we know little about him _Princess_." The admiral emphasized her official title, telling her of her importance to her people. "He could be a double agent, or an assassin."

"Grampa Ray trusts my judgment, and I tell you now that Harry is not an enemy agent or spy from Greenfeld."

"Are you sure?" Wardhaven's Intelligence chief frowned at Kris' nod.

"I still don't like it, having someone your barely know in your circle." Crossenshield confessed. "Just take care of yourself, princess."

"I will Admiral. Longknife out."

Kris turned to the assembled senior officers and crossed her arms. "They're getting curious about Harry. Make sure to instruct the others to watch what they're saying or sending over the net."

"I already told my marines." Jack said. "They know how to keep secrets."

"I told the same to my staff." Professor mFumbo added. He had left behind a good part of his scientific exploration team back in Wardhaven, seeing as the Wasp had to detach the containers surrounding her hull and space became scarce. She was no longer posing as a merchant ship to attract the pirates, but a small and maneuverable, and one of a kind frigate.

"Kris, why are you keeping this a secret from Wardhaven? I can understand not revealing about his past and abilities to the public, but to King Ray?" Abby asked.

"You don't know Grampa Ray like I do." Kris replied, remembering the missions that Ray Longknife sent her. He thought it would be amusing for Kris to learn the ropes of being a Longknife the hard way, but it had cost Kris the lives of many men and women trying to protect her.

She hadn't forgotten the incident in New Eden, where King Ray sent her to solve a problem in the old colony without even a head's up on the situation. A quarter of the marine company that was now attached to the Wasp lost their lives, due to Ray's assumptions that Kris could handle the whatever was thrown in front of her.

Kris did, but she would have saved more of her men's lives if King Ray told him the problem on the planet from the start. She didn't like the lies and half truths that he fed her, and though she forgave him, their relationship had never been the same.

"We better prepare for the jump. How long until we reach the jump point Nelly?" Kris asked.

"Twenty-two minutes and eight seconds." Nelly said. The computer could have reported more accurately, but she had learned that humans didn't particularly care for the hundredth and thousandth of a second.

"I want the marines and rested for the orbital drop. Jack?" Kris turned to her ex bodyguard.

"I'll tell them." Jack stood up from his chair. He noticed the vacant chair in the corner and looked at Kris. "Where's Harry?"

"Oh no." Kris groaned. "He's probably with Gunny again. I swear those two..."

The princess of Wardhaven stomped out of the ready room and started her search for her missing bodyguard. Outside the ship, Harry took his duties seriously, to the point of being paranoid (and to Jack's immense satisfaction) but on board the Wasp, Harry tended to slack off and find ways to skive from his 'assignments'.

Jack Montoya couldn't blame him, the history lessons that Kris forced upon her bodyguard was very boring, and he was sure Harry would have fallen asleep if it were not for the holograms that Nelly projected to keep things interesting. He could clearly see that Harry liked the physical training part of the lessons. He could now maintain and clean a standard M-6 assault rifle and load either sleeping darts or bullets into the magazines or adjust the power in the shot according to the distance.

To Kris and Tru's disappointment, Harry had chosen a 'dumb' computer as Nelly called it, to allow himself to interface with the state of the art weapons he will be using for the drop. The computer, though powerful in its own right, still pales in comparison to the technological marvels that are Nelly and Sam.

Jack followed Kris through the walkways as she searched for Harry. Over the past few days while in Wardhaven, Harry had been trying to recreate a drink that he claimed was popular in his time. He called it 'firewhiskey' and Jack had to admit he was curious on how strong the drink really was.

Kris stalked through the bunks and found her wayward bodyguard laughing with a few of the marines as he took a sip of his latest concoction.

"Is that it?" Gunny asked.

"Not even close." Harry said. "I think we should use more spice..."

"You! What are you doing at the Marine's section?"

Jack heard Kris' annoyed voice around the corner. He had an idea about was coming, since he knew about Kris' early addiction to alcohol and her distaste of her men getting drunk.

"And Sergeant, you know you're not supposed to get drunk while on a mission!"

"Sorry mam!"

"Technically, we aren't drunk." Harry pointed out. "We were just doing some experimenting."

Kris sighed and placed her hands on her hips. "Gunny, get back to your men, tell them that they should use this time to rest before we make the drop. I'll have a word with you later."

"Yes mam!" The veteran Sergeant saluted and patted Harry on the back as he headed back to the marine bunks, knowing the younger man would have to bear the brunt of Kris' temper.

"I also want you to get some rest Harry, trust me, travelling at extended periods in high gees will sap your strength."

"I'm fine." Harry insisted.

"No you're not. Your body is not yet suited to the high g forces. Do you remember how tired you were when we arrived at Wardhaven?" Kris asked.

"I wasn't tired, my muscles just ached." Harry replied.

Kris rolled her eyes and dragged Harry back to the direction of his quarters. "It's the same thing. How was your lesson with Nelly?"

"It went well I think. It wasn't as boring like the others." Harry grinned at Kris. "I just finished studying the average Itechee Warrior. I'm curious about the queen. They're a matriarchal society right?"

"That's what Grampa Trouble says."Kris opened the door to her cabin and waited for Harry to follow her. "Nobody except them has seen a live Itechee Warrior before. To tell you the truth I'm a bit nervous confronting an enemy I don't have experience fighting against."

"You, nervous?" Harry shook his head. "I've heard the stories on your exploits, the great Kris Longknife. The one that can make impossible things, possible."

"They're all exaggerated, trust me." Kris replied. She looked at Harry with a thoughtful expression on her face. "About the last part you said, who told you that?"

"I invented it." Harry grinned. "Catchy eh?"

"It has a ring to it." Kris admitted.

ooo

_Nuu House, Wardhaven_

"Tell me again Harvey, why would Ray want to talk to me? I already sent the report." Trudy said.

"I don't know mam." Harvey shrugged. "He just asked to meet you before he heads to the flagship."

The white limo stopped in front of the gate of the Nuu House, the traditional home of the Longknife family. Tru looked out the window and spotted several dozen guards in shades standing around the grounds.

"Good Lord." Trudy muttered. "I thought we took a wrong turn and ended up at the Wardhaven military barracks."

"That was my first impression when secret service increased its security." Harvey chuckled. His computer flashed the necessary identification on the scanner. "This is necessary though, with the War and all."

"So you think the Itechee will land here and storm Nuu house?" Trudy asked.

"No, it's the refugees from the other planets. They're causing a lot of trouble even with the support we give them." Harvey replied. He drove the car in front of the house and a guard opened the door for Trudy.

"I'll drive you back to your apartment later mam." Harvey said politely.

Trudy nodded and headed to Ray's office. A pair of guards eyed her cautiously as Sam communicated with their scanners. A moment later the guards waved her through and the previous Information War chief of Wardhaven stepped inside the heavily guarded house.

She had spent half her life walking through the cold marble floors, which Kris' mother was particularly fond of. She always boasted to her socialite friends that the marble of the Nuu House came from an eighteenth century palace on Earth. Tru knew otherwise, the marble came from the quarry at the asteroid fields of Sta. Maria, and she forged the documents about the Marble's origins to appease Al Longknife.

Truddy finally reached the ornately carved wooden door and it automatically opened thanks to Sam's tinkering of the Nuu house computer.

"It's good to see you again, Tru."

Ray Longknife, the symbolic head of the Wardhaven alliance said as he stood up from behind his desk. Tru did not bother to return the greeting and merely sat herself down on the cozy chair provided and simply looked around her old friend's office.

"Now, you may be wondering why I requested a meeting with you..."

"More like ordered." Tru said. "I was on my way home when Harvey suddenly turned the car around."

"Well yes, sorry about that." Ray grinned.

"Humph." Tru crossed her arms. "Be thankful I was feeling generous and a bit curious. If I wasn't, I could have easily ordered Sam to hijack the car and continue towards my apartment."

"I doubt Sam could do that." Ray said. "I know he's a marvelous piece of engineering, but the limousine fleet has been recently upgraded..."

"And where did you think that those codes originated from?" Tru smiled.

Ray shook his head and remembered that the old woman sitting in front of him probably knows more about Wardhaven's state secrets than himself.

"Now, cut the crap Ray, I have a busy schedule ahead of me. You know about the artifacts we recently discovered..."

"Yes about that." Ray leaned forward on his chair. "I'm interested about two things that you have discovered."

"Two? We only discovered one viable artifact, the tapestry..."

"I was talking about my great granddaughter's new bodyguard. Where did you find him?" Ray asked.

"Kris met him on Earth, he saved her life and she decided to hire him to be her bodyguard." Tru explained. "You've read the report."

"But that's not the whole truth, isn't it?" Ray smiled. "Come on Tru, you know you can trust me."

"Can I still trust you?" Tru asked. "Are you still the Ray Longknife I knew that served the Society alliance all those years ago?"

"It's still me Truddy." Ray replied. He realized his old friend's concern and his smile vanished from his face. "I learned my lesson. Kris showed me that I've almost turned into my grandson, her father."

"It must be embarrassing to be scolded by your great granddaughter." Tru said, a smug grin on her face.

"It was a humbling experience." Ray admitted. "Now can you tell me the whole story?"

"Just a minute Ray, Sam's making a sweep of your office."

Ray nodded, he had his office scanned daily for nanos and other eavesdropping gadgets, but it wouldn't hurt for Tru to run a scan.

"It's clean." Tru said after a minute. "Do you have something to drink? I'm afraid this will take some time."

Ray tapped his wrist computer and his secretary's voice answered him.

"Yes sir?"

"Cancel all my appointments for today."

"Yes Sir!"

Ray turned off his wrist computer and looked at Tru expectantly.

"Do you have anything to eat?" Tru asked, and she hid her smile after she heard Ray's groan of impatience.

ooo

_Paris System_

The Wasp weaved through the hundreds of ships that humanity assembled to hold the Itechee Fleet at bay. The large battleships, glistening with meters thick ice armor cast shadows on the smaller ship's hull while smaller PT boats maintained a defensive perimeter, ready for any surprise attacks by Itechee fighters.

"I'm receiving a coded message from the Warden." Penny said from her communications station. "The vanguard is about to head to the jump point Delta, General Trouble suggests that we sneak in with the flight of cruisers from Greenfeld."

"Understood." Captain Drago said. The captain of the wasp tapped a button on his own command console. "Engineering."

"Yes Captain."

"We're going to the jump point soon. How are the engines?"

"Operating at optimum efficiency, Skipper. I'm monitoring the upgrades the techs from Nuu Enterprises added to the ship."

"Helm, take us to the jump point at four gees." Drago ordered.

"Aye sir." Slowan gunned the engines as Penny initiated the preparation for the ship for a high g burst. The hulls thickened and the Wasp's size decreased by more than a quarter of its original length while the bridge stations adjusted themselves for the crew."

Kris looked at Harry who was seated near her weapons station and she couldn't help but snort at seeing his face.

Seeing Harry's annoyed look Kris patted his shoulder. "Relax, you've done a high cruise before."

"Not at four gees." The young man muttered. "What are you giggling at?"

"Your face." Kris whispered. "You look like you're sick or something."

"Jack said I should tense my abdominal muscles. I can handle strong g forces, but not like this." Harry said, trying to look hurt at Kris' amusement at him.

"Yes, but you don't have to hold your breath doing it." Kris said. "You're the one who insisted on staying on the bridge. You could have just stayed at your quarters in a comfortable air bed."

"I wouldn't want to miss this." Harry looked at the assembled Battle Fleet in the large view screen as they streaked through space.

"I guess." Kris' smile vanished and she frowned at the thought of another space battle.

"Hey Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you sure you're up to this?"

"Why do you think I'm here with you?" Harry asked. "I'm here to protect you Princess."

Kris smiled warmly at her new bodyguard and continued to monitor the status of the weapons system. She had fully charged the coils in case an enemy ship managed to slip past Wardhaven's defensive grid.

Their stations morphed to the high g configuration and Harry found his chair morphing to a bed, while his own information screed moved over his head.

The Wasp accelerated at a stomach crunching velocity and Harry could hear the simultaneous groans from the bridge crew. No current ship could sustain such a high velocity, since structural integrity would later become a problem. The Wasp however, was recently refitted by the engineers of Nuu enterprises to withstand the intense forces that assaulted the ship's structure during the high velocity run; she wasn't the most powerful ship in terms of fire power but she was the fastest.

ooo

On board _The Dominant_, the Earth super battleship that continued on its course to the Paris system, General Ho watched as a small ship streaked ahead of the Earth fleet at a blinding velocity.

"Communications, get me Wardhaven command."

The deck officer immediately opened a channel and the face of Ray Longknife appeared on screen with his chief of military affairs, Admiral McMorisson behind him.

"Yes General?" Ray asked. General Ho noticed that the King of the Wardhaven Alliance was on board an orbital elevator car, on his way to his own command ship.

"She's on her way Ray." Ho said. "You sure she can pull this through?"

"She's a Longknife." Ray said. "The Wasp would exit the jump point so fast that those damn Itechee wouldn't be able to react in time to pursue her. Trouble's advance fleet would take their attention away from her, while we would arrive to give his fleet support."

"Still, the Wasp would be behind enemy lines and Xanadu's crawling with those Itechee warriors." Ho said. "We won't be able to send help immediately if she's in trouble."

"She's a big girl General." Ray smiled faintly. "Besides, I just recently learned that she has the best protection possible. We need to rescue Henry's little girl as soon as we can, to get Greenfeld's support."

"That idiot." Ho said. Politics irritated him, and Henry Peterwald-Smythe's reluctance to commit his faction fully into the war grated his nerves. The leader of the Greenfeld alliance did send a fleet to support Wardhaven in trying to stop the Itechee advance, but he still kept most of his ships orbiting around Greenfeld.

"Just because Greenfeld space is nice and safe away from the frontlines, he thinks that he isn't in any danger. If we fail to stop these damned aliens, Greenfeld space would soon be over run by those critters." General Ho growled. "I heard he has those new super cruisers that even rivals Earth Super battleships, where are they?"

"You have to understand, Henry is still wary of Wardhaven." Ray said.

"Even after your great granddaughter saved his life?"

"Some still think that it was staged, to get on their support on this war." Ray said, irritation clearly in his voice. "If Kris manages to rescue his daughter, he has promised his full support on the War effort."

"Hopefully it wouldn't be too late." General Ho said.

"Hopefully. Longknife out."

ooo

"Prepare to decelerate." Captain Drago ordered.

The Wasp slowly reduced its speed as it approached jump point beta. The crew sighed with relief as they were subjected to .8 g and some immediately stretched their arms or stretched their feet.

"Thank Merlin." Harry whispered. It felt like the Hippogryph standing on his chest decided to fly away and he could again breathe in comfort.

"Speed is essential for our mission." Kris said. She was adjusted in her configured high g station to ease the discomfort on her back.

"Why are we slowing down though?" Harry asked.

"It's dangerous to enter a jump point at high speeds." Kris explained. "The jump points have a field around them that temporarily distorts a ship's telemetry and navigation. It's only for a short time, but that's enough to cause ships to spiral out of control."

"Approaching the jump point captain." Lieutenant Penny Lien said.

"Good, as soon as we pass through, helm, I want you to gun the engines." The captain of the Wasp said. "We're entering a hot zone."

"Aye captain." Ensign Slowan replied.

Kris charged the 24 inch lasers and the Wasp shot through the jump point. A moment later the ship burst into the Paris system and saw the Vanguard Force of Wardhaven ships, commanded by her great grampa Trouble straight ahead.

The Wasp's monitors enlarged the image ahead of them and Kris saw bursts of green and red light as the Vanguard force exchanged fire with the Itechee ships across from them.

"The flagship _Undaunted _is hailing us." Penny reported. "It's General Trouble."

"Put him on the secondary screen." Drago said.

General Tordon, more popularly known by his nickname Trouble appeared on screen. His face was bathed in flickering in red light while in the background, his bridge crew were busy giving orders to the rest of his fleet.

"You're earlier than expected Wasp." Trouble replied. "I would have posted a few PT boats near the jump point."

"Task force 54 is 50,000 kilometers straight ahead of us sir." Penny reported.

"And the jump point to Xanadu?" The Skipper asked.

"Just ahead of Task force 54." Penny frowned. "We'll be in the crossfire if we keep this heading."

Both fleets continued to dance around one another, swerving back and forth in their lines so as not to give the enemy an easy target. The large battleships that Wardhaven sent as a holding force rotated three revolutions a minute, to prevent being hit in the same place twice. The gleaming ice armor of the ships sparkled, reflecting the hundreds of lasers the Wardhaven fleet sent to the enemy ships.

"We've pushed to four gees to get here." Kris said as she turned her attention on her great grampa.

General Trouble gave his great granddaughter a slight smile. "Four gees? Ships can do that now at cruising speeds?"

"Just this ship. Grampa Al's engineers made some modifications on the smart metal." Kris said proudly.

"Good. Bring your ship alongside _the Undaunted_, and she'll shield you from the laser fire. We'll distract them enough for you to slip past them and into the jump point. And as soon as Ray gets here we'll make a push to hold the line."

Drago nodded and Slowan guided the Wasp alongside the large Undaunted, as its batteries continued to return fire with its large 18 inch lasers.

"How are you holding up?" Kris asked.

"Better than expected." General Trouble said. "We only lost a few ships, considering this is the Itechee. Their carriers are surprisingly few for an invasion force. It's their fighters that we're having a hard time with, nasty things are ridiculously hard to aim at."

Trouble looked behind him as one of his bridge officers reported something from his console.

"We're gunning the engines now. Follow my lead, and take the opening once you see it." Tordon Trouble said, looking directly at his great granddaughter's eyes. "Stay safe Kris."

ooo

The Wasp rocked as it took a glancing hit by Itechee fire. The ship streaked left to avoid another hail of lasers while the smart metal that covered the whole ship shifted to cover the damage taken on the hull.

At the weapons station, Kris, with the help of Nelly, struggled to maintain the lock of their four 24 inch pulse lasers on the three Itechee fighters that tried to harass them.

"Couldn't I take out just one of those bastards?" Kris asked again. "I have a good bead on this one."

"It will only draw more attention to us." The skipper replied. He punched a few buttons in his console, showing the map of the jump point they were going to take.

"If they continue to follow us past the jump point, then you can shoot the hell out of them, Lieutenant." The skipper continued. "Penny, how far from the jump point?"

The ship shook again, receiving a hit from an Itechee fighter. Luckily, their weapons did not pack the punch of the Itechee battleships, and the smart metal armor was able to compensate the minor damage.

"Two thousand kilometers Captain." Penny reported. "We'll reach the jump point in two minutes."

"We're well away from the range of their big guns." Captain Drago said. "The armor should be able to hold up until we reach Xanadu."

"If we keep getting hit like this, we might not have enough smart metal left to configure the ship to land on the planet's surface." Kris stated. "Nelly, can you upload new jinxing maneuvers for Slowan?"

"I'm on it Kris." The supercomputer replied. "I analyzed the three Itechee's movements for the past hour and calculated a maneuver that will most likely avoid their blaster fire."

"Send them now." Kris ordered.

"Already done Kris." Nelly chirped. "Don't worry Harry, we'll get rid of those Itechee."

The rest of the bridge crew spared a glance at Kris' new bodyguard, and a few smiled seeing his pale face.

The young man was clearly overwhelmed with the frenzy of activity on board the bridge, and he showed with his pale face and his tight grip on his restraints.

"Give him a break." Kris said. "It's his first space battle. I know some first time spacers shitting in their seats when their ship was fired upon by pirates."

"Right."Drago said. A unified groan came from the bridge crew when the Wasp suddenly turned at a tight angle, increasing the gees in their bodies significantly.

"Warn us next time you're doing that Nelly." Kris said through gritted teeth.

"Sorry Kris, but Mister Slowan and I determined that this jinxing action will likely confuse the Itechee gunners. We'll have a low chance of getting hit if we continued this jinxing pattern."

"As long as it works." Drago grunted.

The ship twisted upwards and Kris let the sensation on her gut pass before she spoke again. "I guess we don't have any choice. How long until we reach the jump point, Penny?"

"Thirty two seconds." Nelly answered.

"I wasn't asking you." Kris snapped. "Keep analyzing their attack patterns in case we meet them on the other side."

"Fine." Nelly said, her voice sounding like a young girl scolded by her mother.

ooo

_The Wasp, high orbit above Xanadu_

"I don't like this." Jack said.

"It's too quiet for a planet this near the front." Kris replied. "Have they answered our hails?"

"No, they're keeping quiet." Penny answered. "I can't even detect their energy infrastructure like we did before."

"You've been here before?" Harry asked.

"Once." Kris answered. "And it wasn't a pleasant experience either. Penny, have you found any traces of the Greenfeld escape pods?"

"There's nothing at all. Normally we'll be getting their emergency beacons." Penny replied. "Someone must have turned them off and hid the pods, or the Greenfeld ship never arrived here in the first place."

"There's no choice then." Kris said.

"You sure you want to do this?" Jack asked. "These Abdicationists are not exactly friendly."

"We've got to." Kris replied. "We'll be dropping in an hour."

Captain Drago nodded and Ensign Slowan adjusted the Wasp's orbit around the planet so that it would skim the atmosphere and launch the LACs to Xanadu's surface.

ooo

"Hey Kris?"

Kris looked at Harry who was busy strapping into his own space suit and turned towards him. "What?"

"Who are these Abdicationists?" Harry asked. "They weren't mentioned on the mission briefs you made me read."

Abby, busy helping Kris fit in her Spacesuit answered him. "They're a group that started around 50 years ago, proclaiming that a great Alien invasion force is headed our way."

"Alien Invasion force?" Harry asked. "Itechee?"

"No." Abby shook her head and helped Kris attach the breast plate on her suit. "By then, the Itechee and us signed a peace treaty. These Abdicationists were shouting on the streets of Earth, waving placards and banners saying that the end is near."

"Sounds familiar." Harry smiled. "I assume they weren't taken seriously by Earth's government?"

"They weren't." Kris answered. "They were ridiculed. And then, they just vanished from the major planets, claiming they were going to hide from the evil aliens who were going to eat human eyeballs for breakfast."

Harry snorted and tried to attach his own breastplate. Wondering where Jack was since he usually helped Harry fit in his glove tight spacesuit he let the armor dangle down its hinges and gave Kris a pleading look for help.

"Then imagine our surprise when we encountered the Abdicationist colony here on Xanadu." Kris continued. She took pity on her bodyguard and started to help get into his suit.

"What are they like?" Harry asked.

"Crazy." Kris muttered. "Hold up your arms to the side."

Harry obeyed and Kris attached the various wires towards the power pack. "They tried hiding themselves by hiding their settlements under mounds of dirt, making it appear that their planet was uninhabited to ship sensors."

"How'd you find them?"

"They didn't dig deep enough." Abby answered. "While they hid their cities well, they didn't think to hide their power lines and grids. We just followed that faint trace towards their capital city."

"And that's where we are going?" Harry asked.

"Yes. Victoria Peterwald sent a distress message while she was on this planet. The locals may know where she is." Abby replied.

"That's done." Kris said as she stepped back to observe her bodyguard. Harry rotated his shoulders, making sure the suit wasn't digging in to his skin.

"Thanks." Harry said. "Perfect fit."

"Good." Kris nodded. "Get your butt inside LAC-1. And this time I want you sitting right behind me so I can keep a close eye on you. I don't want a repeat of that incident, especially in this crucial mission."

"Hey! I did fine!" Harry glared at Kris.

"Mostly, but you freaked out at the end, making the weight shift inside the LAC." Kris replied, a smile on her face. No doubt she found her bodyguard's reaction amusing. "I had to compensate and adjust the flight path."

"I don't see any other LAC doing those S turns and loops." Harry said. "Just because you're a space skiff riding champion in college doesn't mean you have to do that. Couldn't I just ride with Gunny? Or Abby?"

"You're my bodyguard." Kris said. They were teasing each other now, and she knew Harry was just trying to rile her up. "Don't tell me the big bad wizard is scared of a few high g turns?"

"I am if you're piloting." Harry muttered.

The door to the hangar opened and the rest of the Marine Company walked in, all carrying various weapons and equipment necessary for the mission.

"Let's go. Helmets on troops! Skipper's about to depressurize the hangar."

Harry closed his face mask shut, and he heard a hiss sound telling his space suit was now air tight. The marines all went inside their designated LACs while the Wasp began in its run to skim Xanadu's upper atmosphere.

Inside the LAC, Harry noticed the small hatch door open and saw the planet called Xanadu, most of its surface covered in thick clouds and dense vegetation.

"This is LAC-1, all LACs report your status." Kris said through the comm.

The various pilots reported that they were ready, and Kris spoke again. "We're going tight and fast. Remember, a space battle is currently on going, and it is only a jump hole away from here. I want this done right and quick."

"Yes MAM!"

"Okay. Follow my lead. Captain Drago, LACs are ready to drop."

The voice of the skipper crackled over the comm. speakers mounted on every LAC. "Roger that Kris. Deploy in, three, two... one. Deploy!"

Kris pressed a button and clamps holding LAC-1 were released. Moments later LAC-1 was dropping like a brick towards Xanadu. Harry looked behind him and saw the other LACs flying right behind Kris in a tight formation.

Harry sucked up his gut and grunted as Kris tilted the LAC to the right, trying to slow down the craft before she deployed its glider wings. This was no quidditch.

ooo

"What's that?" Harry asked. They were flying swiftly through the mountains, the LAC's glider wings deployed minutes ago.

"What..." Kris began before her eyes widened in shock. She quickly dove to the right as green Laser beams flew past them.

"Kris! We are under fire!" Nelly shouted.

"Evasive maneuvers!" Kris screamed through the comm. The LACs broke their formation to avoid the stream of Laser beams and split into different directions.

"Kris, Three Itechee Fighters are tracking us!"

"Where did they come from?" Kris muttered, as she expertly maneuvered the agile ship out of arms way. "Assault teams, head to the forest. We'll lose them in the trees."

"Roger that."

"Copy that."

The LACs vanished into the trees, their expert pilots guiding their crafts through the vegetation.

"Don't we have weapons on these things?" Harry asked.

"It will only hinder the LAC's speed and maneuverability." Kris replied. "Nelly, keep an eye out for those fighters."

"Yes Kris."

"We may not be able to fire back, but they can't match our maneuverability." Kris continued. "Another thing Nelly, contact The Wasp and see if they can scare off those fighters."

"I'm afraid the Wasp is busy in its own fight Kris." Nelly said.

ooo

The LAC skimmed the surface of the river before it gradually slowed down. Before it actually stopped near the bank the hatch opened and the Marines jumped out and splashed on the water.

Kris turned off the LAC systems and jumped out, followed by Harry who was looking around the dense vegetation, wary of hidden enemies.

"Sergeant Bruce, sink the LAC. We need to cover our tracks in case those fighters fly overhead.

"Yes mam!" Bruce replied.

The ten Marines with Kris and Harry immediately set to work. Two marines climbed on top of the LAC's nose, tipping it underwater. The inside of the LAC immediately took in water, and it slowly sunk beneath the water surface. The other marines shot anchors deep on the riverbed, and tying them off into the LAC's anchor points to prevent it from drifting from the current.

The effort took than less five minutes, and Harry was seriously impressed with their efficiency. They were like ants, everybody knew their roles and worked seamlessly with one another.

Kris' squad headed inside the dense jungle, while sergeant Bruce covered their footprints by wiping them away with a dead branch. They heard a deep sound reverberating through the forest and they hunkered down, trying to find cover.

Two Itechee fighters flew past them, tracing the River and trying to look for signs of the LACs.

"That was close." Harry replied. "Do you want me to blow them up next time I see them?"

A few of the Marines looked surprised, before their shocked faces turned to eager expressions. It looked they had just realized that they had a super powered ally with them. Harry had gradually stopped using his 'tricks' as he like to call them, and enjoyed being treated as one of the guys inside the Wasp.

Kris shook her head. "I'm sorry Harry. I don't want them to learn about you and your abilities. It is a tightly guarded secret, and only the crew of The Wasp knows about it. Also, destroying those fighters will only attract attention to our position."

"If you're sure. I guess that's smarter not to reveal all your hand." Harry said, agreeing with Kris' statement. "So, where are we headed?"

"East." Nelly answered. "Xanadu's largest settlement is thirty two kilometers east of our position."

"We are in for a long walk." Kris said. "Can you tell me what happened to the other teams?"

"I'm sorry Kris, without the Wasp orbiting around the planet, I can't lock on their position. And there are no satellites around Xanadu that I can hack into. I can only give a calculated guess on their current position based from their flight path."

"That's good enough." Kris said, though her face showed concern for her marines. A moment later a map appeared on her facemask, showing probable landing points and position of the rest of her men. It looked like they were the only team that had got that close to Xanadu's largest settlement. It would take days if they waited for the other teams, and that was time that they didn't have.

"Looks like we are on our own." Kris said after a moment. "Let's go, we'll break camp when night falls."

The rest of the marines nodded and the team vanished deep into the woods.

ooo

"Kris, I'm detecting a faint energy signature."

The team nodded after hearing Nelly and looked at the princess of Wardhaven, rather the super computer attached near her shoulder.

"What is it Nelly?"

"I'm detecting a small electric current running two meters from your position." Nelly said. "It matches the power requirement for an escape pod."

" Corporal Remie?"

The female tech specialist of the team stepped forward and began to run her scanner to the spot Nelly indicated. She knelt down on the ground and inserted a thin metal prod deep on the earth. "It's definitely an escape pod, buried under two meters of soil."

Remie kicked the dead leaves around the spot, revealing freshly dug earth. "Someone has removed its emergency transponders, but the pod's battery for life support still has some juice left. It's definitely of Greenfeld, we don't use these types of escape pods in the United Sentients alliance."

"So, that's a confirmation that she's really here." Kris said. "The locals must have her."

"Those Abdicators?" Harry asked. "Why would they hide her?"

"Before we headed to Earth and met you, I just recently saved the first citizen of the Greenfeld alliance." Kris explained as the group moved again away from the clearing.

"The first citizen?"

"Henry Peterwald-Smythe the twelfth is first citizen, a title for the leader of the Greenfeld alliance."

"I remember reading about him before." Harry said. "You prevented war between Wardhaven and Greenfeld by shooting down a large transport ship headed for a suicide run towards the first citizen."

"We did."

Kris' expression darkened slightly, remembering the thousands that died in that hijacked ship transport liner. It was a matter of numbers, and if she didn't shoot down the ship, hundreds of thousands would have died from the impact of the ship on the planet's surface. And on that particular area of some Safari planet, Henry Peterwald-Smythe was currently hunting big game for his collection.

Ray Longknife said that her decision saved millions of lives. Henry Peterwald's death would no doubt trigger a full scale war between Wardhaven and Greenfeld, the two largest and most powerful factions of humanity.

"So the ones that hijacked the ship were part of this Abdicators cult?"

"Yes." Kris replied. "They were strongly suspected of trying to start a war, and that's why Wardhaven and Greenfeld launched a joint taskforce to patrol this area and investigate who they are working with."

"And at the same time, the Itechee their advance, breaking the peace treaty brokered by your great grandfathers." Harry added.

"That's about it." Kris said.

"What should we do with these Abdicators when we reach the settlement?" Harry asked.

"They weren't exactly pleased to see us when we landed on their doorstep the first time and accompanied by a fully armed marine battalion." Kris said. "We better be on guard, now that our forces are scattered all over the continent."

Bruce, the marine sergeant came back from his scouting patrol and walked alongside the princess of Wardhaven and her bodyguard.

"We made good progress mam, but I'm afraid a weather system's approaching and we need to find shelter quickly." Bruce said. "I found a nice area adequate for setting up camp. It's on high ground, so we should be okay in case it rains."

"Lead on then." Kris said. The squad quickened their pace, eager to rest their legs after a long day of marching through the dense vegetation.

ooo

"Go on, we'll take first watch." Kris said to her marines. The ten Wardhaven marines nodded and slipped into their own sleeping bags while Kris added more wood to the fire. Thankfully, it hadn't rained, giving them the luxury of fire, a hot meal and dry ground to sleep on.

Kris felt a tingle and saw Harry performing several complicated movements with his wand. She remained silent, and observed her bodyguard weaved his power to his desire.

"What did you do?" Nelly said, unable to hide her curiosity as Harry sat beside Kris on the ground.

"It's a perimeter ward, designed to warn me if someone is approaching our camp." Harry explained. "The ward's big, a hundred feet in every direction."

"Wow." Nelly said.

"That's not all I did." Harry smiled and Kris found herself smiling back. He really had an infectious grin, like her best friend who was also Penny's husband. Lieutenant junior grade Tommy Lien died in the battle of Wardhaven, trying to protect his new wife as the small PT boat he and Kris was assigned to when it was severely damaged by Greenfeld ships.

"What did you do?" Kris asked, deciding to join the conversation between her computer and her bodyguard.

"There's also a repelling ward." Harry said. "If they somehow breached the Perimeter ward, they will suddenly think that they had forgotten something and will turn back."

"That's very convenient." Kris said, feeling better now that Harry added his protections.

They had all removed the upper portion of their spacesuits since it was uncomfortable sleeping with, (and hot when not in the cold vacuum of space) and now Kris and Harry each wore a black sando, standard uniform worn underneath the spacesuit.

"That must have been some fight." Kris said softly, breaking the silence that the two enjoyed.

"Huh?"

"That." Kris nodded her head at the two scars on Harry's right arms

"Oh this?" Harry held up his fore arm, showing his largest scar. "I got this when I was fourteen."

"Fourteen?" Kris asked, her eyes wide with surprise. "What happened?"

"You know about the evil Wizard that I was destined to fight while we were on Wardhaven?"

"Yes. You called him Voldemort."

"Yes him. He used a dark ritual to restore himself to his full powers, and an ingredient needed for that ritual is the blood of the enemy... my blood." Harry said. "Voldemort's servants kidnapped me and this is what happened when they took my blood."

"That's so barbaric!" Kris exclaimed.

"What do you expect? I wasn't supposed to escape, and me slowly bleeding to death really didn't concern them." Harry said. "Good thing I escaped."

The two lapsed into silence, each lost to their own thoughts. Kris leaned back on a large rock and absently flicked a bug that landed on her shoulder. "You know Harry, I just noticed something about you these past few weeks."

"What is it?" Harry followed Kris and rested his back on the same rock, and their arms touched but the princess didn't move.

"You've been using your powers less and less." Kris said. "During the first week that you became a member of my crew, you kept on doing magic left and right. Then slowly, you gradually stopped until you barely do any magic at all. What is that about?"

"I just liked the Physical and skills training you give your marines."Harry said. "And I'm trying to fit in, and it's working so far. The guys barely ask me for a magic trick these days. They just invite over for drinks and good natured ribbing. Here I'm just Harry, it's something I never had the luxury of experiencing during my time."

"I understand." Kris said. She smiled at Harry and placed a comforting arm over his. "I'm glad the crew and the marine company are treating you so well."

"That just shows how great they are, and how progressive and accepting humanity has changed into. " Harry said. "Race, religion, beliefs, everyone respects everyone else's opinion."

"There are still many who are not as accepting as we are Harry." Kris warned. "That's another reason why I'm so cautious when it comes to information about you. People fear what they don't understand, and when they learn about you and your abilities... well you can imagine what can happen."

"I have a good idea." Harry replied.

"Uhh... mam?"

Princess and Bodyguard looked behind them and saw a pair of marines waiting patiently to replace the watch.

"Right. Let's go Harry." Kris said, quickly standing up. She picked up her own M-6 rifle and wiped the sweat of her brow.

"Everything's quiet so far." Kris said. She contemplated telling the guards about Harry's additional protections but decided against it in the end. They need to be on their toes, and just because they have a human wielding cosmic powers doesn't mean they should relax. Kris knew the tides of battle can turn in an instant, no matter how well she had prepared for it.

"Keep a good watch. We'll break camp in eight hours so wake your replacements. I want everybody to be fully rested, and keep a lookout for any of the other squads." Kris ordered.

"Yes Mam!"

Kris nodded and headed back to the camp, where she could see the silhouette of her sleeping men against the camp fire. Only one marine was awake, and he immediately stood up to greet his commander.

"Mam." Sergeant Bruce held up two steaming bowls of food.

"Thanks sergeant." Kris said. "Why don't you get some sleep?"

"I will Mam, I was just waiting to give you your food before I tucked in." Bruce replied.

"Go on." Kris smiled. "I can't have my best scout yawning when we storm that village."

Bruce grinned back and slid back into his own sleeping bag. A moment later Harry could hear the soft snores, and he couldn't help but admire the man. He truly was a professional soldier, stealing sleep whenever he can. Alastor Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt would have approved.

"Time seems to pass quickly if you're talking to someone." Kris sat next to him while he chewed on his food. It was some sort of meat in a stew, and though it tasted bland it was edible. "I wasn't even bored, and I'm terrible with watch duty."

"Terrible?" Harry asked.

"Back when I was an Ensign, fresh from Officer school, I always had to have the undesired rotation during watch duty." Kris said.

"And when is that?"

"The very middle of the shift." Kris tasted her own stew and frowned for a moment before she began to eat earnestly. "Soldiers prioritize their sleep, and having the first or last watch makes sure you sleep without being interrupted."

"You can imagine how terrible it was for me then." Kris smiled. "There were few people to talk to, and so I usually chatted with Nelly during my shift to pass the time."

"Good times... good times." Nelly said, causing the two humans to chuckle.

They quickly finished their food, and slipped in to their respective sleeping bags.

"Hey Harry?"

Harry was beginning to feel sleepy. Even though the food was bland, it was hot and after a day of walking and eating dried meat for lunch, the stew was heaven.

"Yeah?" Harry opened his eyes to see Kris on her side and looking curiously at him.

"Nothing. I'm usually like this before a big day." Kris whispered.

"We're not all bursting with energy Kris." Harry said. Seeing that the young woman still wanted to talk, he leaned forward and blew at her face, making her close her eyes.

"Sleep, you'll need it tomorrow." Harry said, and the princess of Wardhaven wondered if he did something with his powers since she started feeling sleepy. That line of thought vanished when Kris began dreaming of chasing down illegal smugglers and pirate ships, with a handsome green eyed man watching her back.

ooo

_Primary Abdicationist Settlement, Xanadu_

HALT!

Kris stopped, Harry and another marine between her.

A portly man with a rifle approached them, a rifle in his arms. Behind him, several men in white robes approached, and all had some sort of weapon or fire arm on their person.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" The portly man demanded.

"Why were you not answering our hails?" Kris asked back.

The man frowned. "Outsiders are not welcome to the refuge. You will be arrested for trespassing! Drop your weapons or you will be shot!"

Kris only lowered her weapon, confident that the ten marines hiding behind the forest line was covering her.

"As I recall, every human has a right to seek an audience with your Great Guides." Kris said.

"You've visited us before?"

"Yes." Kris nodded. Squaring her shoulders, she announced. "I am Kristine Longknife, princess of Wardhaven, and I demand an audience with your council elders."

"Where are the rest of your men?" The man asked. "The last time you came here, you arrived with a full battalion of soldiers."

"They are watching us as we speak." Kris replied. "And every one of them has a rifle aimed at each man behind you, so I suggest you lower your weapons."

Harry glanced at Kris, finding her bluff amusing. He had to give it to her, her bluff had the men behind the speaker suddenly tensed and warily looked at the surrounding trees.

The demeanor of the first man changed and he gave his men a reluctant nod to lower their weapons. They slowly did, and he ordered one of them to send a message to the great guides, murmuring in swift low tones.

"Very well." The man said. "I am Arctucus, and I will be your guide to the assembly. Follow me, Kris Longknife. Have your men assembled in the street, and they will be cared for."

'And reveal my bluff?' Kris thought. "They're fine where they are."

The messenger Arctucus sent ran back, and whispered into his ear, and both of them sent wary glances at Kris.

"The great guides have generously allowed you audience, despite their busy schedule. However, they demand that you meet them with only one guard, so as to not violate our sacred temple as you did last time." Arctucus said.

"What do you think?" Kris asked Harry.

"Agree with their terms for now." Harry said. "I'll cover for you, so don't worry about your safety."

"The only reason they aren't taking us prisoners is because they believe a battalion of Wardhaven Marines are spread out behind us." Kris whispered back.

"Yes, but if we allow ourselves to be taken 'captive', we might be able to see where they are keeping Victoria Peterwald, and at the same time learn of their true intentions."

Kris pondered his words for a moment. She turned back to her other guard. "Remie, get back to Bruce and tell them of our plan. And tell them not to worry, fall back to the trees and we'll meet you there."

"Are you sure princess?" She asked.

"I have Harry with me." Kris said. "Make sure to watch out for us in case we need cover fire."

The Wardhaven Marine tech specialist nodded and ran back to the forest and Kris and Harry slowly moved closer to Arctucus.

"Lead on." Kris said, and the party moved towards the big mound in the middle of the settlement.

"That's their assembly, where their 'Great guides' reside." Kris said to Harry.

"It looks like one large hobbit home." Harry mused. The large mound was covered with grass and weeds, similar in design to the other structures.

"You are not invited to our land." Arctucus began as they walked. "What is the purpose of your intrusion?"

"A matter that only involves your leaders." Kris said. "What happened to your ideology of no weapons?"

"Your last visit has forced us to arm ourselves." Arctucus said simply.

The party soon reached a tunnel that looked liked it led to the great mound. Nelly had been supplying Kris with image maps from their last visit, causing the princess to raise an eyebrow.

"I see that you remodeled the city."

"We dug deeper, to hide us from the great evil that is to come." Arctucus said. "Praise be the wisdom of the guides!"

"Praise be!" The young men around him responded.

"Nuts." Harry whispered, making Kris bite her lip from giggling.

More guards were waiting for Kris and Harry, and they were told to prepare themselves in a small chamber leading to large underground temple.

"Prepare?" Kris asked.

"Leave your weapons and armor here." Arctucus said. "The safety of the great guides must be enforced. We may have removed ourselves from society, but we know of the pitiful weapons you have. They are of no use when the great evil horde arrives."

"We weren't asked to do this before." Kris argued. She felt vulnerable without her armor that could stop a round from point blank range.

"You will leave your weapons and armor now." Arctucus demanded, and the rest of his men raised their rifles and pointed them at Kris and Harry. "The great guides must not be kept waiting."

Harry and Kris helped each other remove their armors, while the Abdicationists watched them with slowly.

Once Kris removed all of her armor, she stood wearing her black tank top and black shorts. She faced the abdicators and crossed her arms, and raised her chin defiantly.

"Well?"

"All of your clothes." Arctucus said maliciously.

"Impossible!" Kris snarled, causing the men to raise their rifles higher. "What shall I wear?"

"These." Arctucus pointed to a pile of gray togas.

"Fine." Kris said. "Get out, I need to change."

"No. Change here." Arctucus said, and Kris could see the eager eyes of the men with him. "We must be sure that you will not have a hidden weapon with you."

Kris clenched her fists, she was having doubts now of why she agreed to this plan. No doubt they were trying to humiliate her, forcing her to strip like some hooker from some red light district! She looked up when Harry moved in front of her, blocking the men from her sight.

"You sure you want to do this?" Harry whispered. She looked at his eyes and saw them full of worry and anger? "I can knock them out. Just say the word."

"No." Kris said after a moment. "We need to speak with them as soon as possible, and find Victoria's location. If baring my modesty will help our mission, then so be it. I just don't want to leave Nelly here."

"She's shielded from EMP right?" Harry asked. At Kris' nod he waved his hand over Nelly' composite casing, and in an instant the self organizing circuitry computer disappeared from view.

"There." Harry said. "She won't be detected."

"Hurry up!" Arctucus demanded.

"Perverts." Kris snapped.

Blushing slightly from embarrassment, Kris glanced at thee lecherous eyes of them and removed her black tank top. Her bust size was nothing to be proud of, compared to the women back in Wardhaven. Still, she wouldn't give these Abdicationists the satisfaction of seeing her weak and scared. Harry was with her.

"Nelly said thanks." Kris said to Harry before she hiked her thumbs over the waistband of her small shorts and pulling them down.

Nelly sent her a quick missive through their link, and she couldn't help it, but be curious to what Harry looked like. She glanced to her side and saw him and saw her first real live organ of a human male not in the porn movies she saw her marines watch.

'Oh my' Kris thought. 'Was that erect? No, it still wasn't. It's that big?'

Then, she realized that she was naked, standing in front of twenty men looking eagerly at her. She shivered and unconsciously covered her breasts and groin with her arms, the invisible weight of Nelly between her breasts comforting her.

"Is this enough? Satisfied?" Kris asked.

"Raise your arms and turn around." Arctucus said, his eyes gleaming.

Harry and Kris did so, though the blush in Kris' cheeks increased.

"Had your fun?" Kris asked. "Seen enough to satisfy you for the night?"

"Perhaps." Arctucus said. He pointed to the toga like robes and Harry and Kris quickly put them on.

"They are waiting, hurry up." Arctucus said as Kris passed him. He was about to put his arm on her rump to 'guide' her when a hand closed tightly on his wrist. He angrily looked up and saw a pair of burning green eyes staring at him.

"Try it." The green eyed man said, his voice cold and his face impassive.

After a moment he released him and Arctucus immediately stepped back, fearing that his wrist would have snapped if the man held any longer. He wanted to order his men to beat the Princess' bodyguard, but the memory of those angry green eyes full of fury made him change his mind.

'No matter' Arctucus thought. He liked what he saw, and he'll have fun with her in the underground dungeons.

A pair of guards opened the wooden doors, and Harry and Kris stepped inside a vast chamber where a stage was located. Their guards have left at the door and the two walked alone, knowing that hidden guards were around them, watching their every move.

'Nelly, I want you to record everything, visual and audio.' Kris thought.

'Yes Kris.' The computer replied. 'Do you want me to scan the area for nanos.'

'Go ahead.' Kris answered.

"What's that smell?" Harry asked.

"That's an incense with hallucinogenic effects that they use on their cult." Kris whispered. "You remember the shots you were given before we landed? That's to counter its effects.

"That bloody hurt."

"So." Kris ignored his last statement, trying to bridge the embarrassment between them by seeing each other naked. "Did you have a nice view earlier?"

"I did." Harry smiled. "I even like what I see now."

Kris glanced down and saw that her nipples were poking out of the thin gray white robes they were forced to wear. She playfully slapped his arm and replied. "It's cold here, you pervert."

"It is." Harry waggled his eyebrows.

"Eyes up here Harry." Kris said. She glanced at her friend and bodyguard, and realized what he was trying to do. Harry was trying to make light of the situation they had experienced earlier, and trying to make her relaxed enough to face the leaders of this cult.

'Isn't he sweet?' Nelly cooed, causing Kris to snort.

"Now where are these Great guides?" Harry asked, looking around the large chamber.

"Wait for it." Kris said, remembering her last visit to this place.

On the stage vents on the floor opened, spouting off steam or smoke, Kris couldn't tell. Spotlights from around them focused on the stage while a huge block of ebony marble began to rise up from a trap door, while from above twelve thrones of white marble began to descend, as if levitating slowly to the ground.

Music began to play, and Harry thought he remembered that music from before, designed to appear intimidating and grand to its enemies at the same time.

Harry had to admit that the visual spectacle was good, it almost looked like magic.

"Nice." Harry said. "They could work in Vegas."

Kris wanted to ask what Vegas meant when the twelve marble thrones finally touched down on their stage.

"Speak, heretic." An old man, Harry guessed to be in his late sixties spoke from his marble throne. "Why have you trespassed on our refuge, Kris Longknife?"

"You weren't answering our hails while we were on orbit." Kris said, her strong voice echoing across the large chamber. "I was forced to land here and speak with you."

"And so you have." Another great guide replied. "What is the purpose of your intrusion?"

"A few weeks ago, a Greenfeld ship came under attack by unknown forces near this planet." Kris said. "We have reason to believe that the survivors have landed here and we are here to rescue them."

"We have not encountered them." The first man replied. "You are mistaken."

"I believe otherwise." Kris countered. "On our way here, we found a missing escape pod that is only used by the Greenfeld navy. Where are the survivors?"

The twelve great guides shifted in their seats in discomfort and traded unsure glances with one another. Obviously they didn't expect that any evidence would be left behind.

"Brother Lucifer, what should we do?" A woman sitting in the far end asked the first man.

"Nothing." Lucifer said.

"And what about Longknifes' guards?"

"They wouldn't risk attacking us with their precious princess deep within our fortress." Lucifer said. He turned to Kris. "It was foolish of you to come here Kris Longknife. You will remain here as our guest, and you will tell your men to leave our sacred sanctuary."

"You know that keeping me here against my will would only bring down the wrath of the entire Wardhaven navy?" Kris asked.

"If they can get here." Lucifer said.

Kris' eyes narrowed. "As we suspected, you made a deal with the Itechee, haven't you?"

"They have promised us protection, when the great horde arrives." Lucifer said. "There is no choice Longknife, you are unarmed, and surrounded by our brave warriors. Surrender, and be converted."

"You are powerless. Outmatched. There will be no tricks from you this time, Longknife." Another great guide said.

Lucifer waved his hand, and from the shadows men marched in, holding Greenfeld standard issue M-6 rifles.

"Dispose of the guard, we'll have Longknife as our special guest." Lucifer ordered.

Kris shifted closer to Harry as dozens of men approached them, eager to get their hands on another female off-worlder.

"I know those rifles. What have you done with the crew of that Greenfeld ship?" Kris asked.

"They were uncooperative, and so we were forced to send them to the great beyond." Lucifer said. "One woman however, is alive. Our colony suffers from a lack of women, and she will be a fine addition to our sanctuary and bear many children, and they will be the future of the human race. The only survivors once the great purge has begun."

"Bastards!" Kris shouted, shocked at what happened to the Greenfeld crew. It was one thing to kill men, she was a soldier and that was her profession. But even then, she and her fellow marines showed respect to their enemies, unlike the men in this cult.

"Do not fear young Longknife, once you and the other woman participate in the ceremony tonight, you will become one of us. Hail the angels of the light, they who guide us in this time of great evil!" Lucifer crowed.

"All Hail!" The younger men chanted.

"Nuts." Harry whispered. "The lot of them. We'll stick to the original plan?"

"For now." Kris whispered as they were herded out of the central chamber. The princess of Wardhaven looked at their captors and moved closer to Harry.

"However, under no circumstances should we be separated."

"I wasn't planning to." Harry said. "And what if they force the issue?"

"Then let loose with your powers." Kris said, looking at Harry in the eye. "These men are murderers, cowards and traitors to our race. Until then, we need to find Victoria."

"Quiet!" A young guard said, prodding Kris's back with his rifle. "You are not given permission to speak."

Kris glared at the over eager guard and continued walking barefoot down the underground tunnels, only the presence of Harry being the only comfort she had. She shuddered at the thought if Harry isn't here and what they would do to her without his protection.

Kris found herself lost and confused deep inside the tunnels as the guards led them through various passageways that all looked similar. No doubt this was its intended purpose to make it harder for prisoners to escape. If it wasn't for Nelly, Kris knew she'd be lost in these tunnels and would no doubt be captured by the abdicators.

After never ending twists and turns, Kris and Harry were led inside a bare room with iron bars to prevent them from escaping.

"You will wait for brother Arctucus." A guard said. He faced Harry and grinned. "He will want to question you about the deployment of your men. Speak truthfully heretic, and I guarantee that it will be easier for you."

"And what if I don't cooperate?" Harry asked, mildly amused at the guards attempts of intimidation.

"Then you will suffer the same fate as her companions did." The guard looked at a darkened corner of the room. Kris and Harry followed his gaze and their eyes widened when they saw a figure in the corner, huddled in thick blankets.

"Victoria!" Kris exclaimed.

ooo

"How are you?" Kris quickly approached the Greenfeld heiress after the young men finished leering at Kris and the other young woman in the cell.

"Kris?"

"It's me Vicky." Kris hugged the young woman who was once her fiercest enemy and rival.

"It's you!" Victoria hugged the princess of Wardhaven harder while tears fell down on her smudged face.

"How are you Victoria? Are you hurt?" Kris asked, eyeing her friend for injuries.

"I'm fine." Victoria whispered. "They didn't hurt unlike... the others. Thank Heavens that you have come!"

Victoria's voice broke and she sobbed on Kris' shoulder, no doubt the younger woman in her early teens, Harry guessed, had witnessed how her fellow survivors were executed.

"Don't worry. We're here to get you out. Can you walk?" Kris asked.

"They didn't hurt me." Victoria said. "They even fed me. No doubt they don't want to starve me if they're planning to breed with me."

"That's what their planning with me too." Kris said dryly. "I guess this cult colony has a gender balance and they're dying out."

"So how are we getting out?" Victoria asked. "Are your marines preparing for an assault? Is Jack here?"

"Our original plan was to storm this place by force and demand your location." Kris explained. Unfortunately our rescue team was attacked by..."

"... the Itechee." Victoria finished. "They attacked the task force I was assigned to when we went into the Xanadu system. These Abdicators seemed to have formed an alliance with the Itechee."

"Are there other survivors?" Kris asked.

"None that I know of." Victoria whispered. "It was a massacre Kris. I thought we were pretty safe since a Wardhaven Fleet augmented our forces... It wasn't enough. There were just too many. Then I landed into this planet full of murdering, perverted cowards."

"It's as Grampa Ray feared." Kris said. She helped Victoria stand up and looked at her bodyguard.

"How will we get out of here?" Victoria asked. "I tried to memorize how we got here but..."

Victoria screamed as she felt her whole body being compressed into a tight rubber tube. A moment later, she was standing in a forest with Kris and her bodyguard standing beside her.

"What the Hell?" Victoria yelled. "What the fuck was that!"

"A little warning is appreciated the next time you do that Harry." Kris said sternly.

"Where are we... How did we..." Victoria whispered, her eyes wide and her mouth open with shock and amazement.

"I'll tell you later." Kris said. She turned to her bodyguard who was now busy looking at their surroundings. It was dark now, and Nelly informed her that Xanadu's sun set in a few hours ago.

"I heard footsteps coming. I had to get us out quick." Harry said. He looked around, wondering where the rest of Kris' squad had gone.

"How did you do it?" Victoria asked Harry, noticing him for the first time.

Instead of answering, Harry flicked his wrist and his wand flew into his wrist. He waved his wand in front of Kris and himself and finished the movement with an upward flick of his wrist.

A moment later Kris found herself in her space suit that they were forced to discard earlier.

"Switching spell." Harry explained to Kris who looked annoyed again for not being warned. He turned to the young woman who had her mouth open and smiled. "It's magic."

ooo

"Are you sure we're going on the right direction?" Kris asked.

"I'm sure." Harry said. "They went this way."

"I don't know why they weren't there on the rendezvous" Kris said. "Either they were forced to move deeper into the forest due to the enemy, or something else. Nelly, do you have contact with the Wasp or the other squads?"

"I'm sorry Kris, I can't detect anything without the Wasp to relay the signal."

"So what else can you do?" Victoria Peterwald asked.

"I can fly." Harry said before he continued to create a path through the dense vegetation with his transfigured machete.

"Wow." Victoria sighed. She had pestered Harry questions for the past hour, once she saw firsthand Harry's abilities and power. Harry had been evasive when she asked about his past, but readily answered questions about his other talents.

Their surroundings grew darker once they moved deeper into the jungle but Harry solved that problem when an orb of light floated from his hand and gave light to their party.

"Wow." Victoria sighed again. She glanced at her once hated enemy and now friend and ally. "You're so lucky Kris. You don't have to worry about enemies when you have a bodyguard like him."

"Harry's talents are certainly useful." Kris said. "But it's his character and bravery that I value the most."

"Just character and bravery?" Victoria asked. "I've got to say Kris, you sure have a penchant for good looking bodyguards. I, on the other hand, was always assigned by big brutes with absolutely no personality or sense of humor."

Kris blushed and pinched Victoria, causing her to giggle. She quickly glanced at Harry and breathed a sigh of relief. He was too far ahead to have heard what Victoria said.

"You never change." Kris said to her friend. "A few hours ago you were being held prisoner by a deranged cult, and now you're teasing me."

"I'd probably cry again later." Victoria admitted. "Right now, I'm just relieved to be free and in the company of friends and new allies. But Kris, trust me, I'll have my revenge on those pigs. I'll make them pay."

"Don't worry Vicky. I have some issues with them myself." Kris said. She'd make those bastards pay for the humiliation she and Harry were forced to endure.

ooo

"Something's ahead." Harry whispered, and immediately all three crouched down on the jungle floor. The ball of light that Harry conjured to give them better visibility immediately vanished, plunging the three into darkness.

"What is it?" Kris asked. Harry moved between the girls and grabbed both of their wrists. Kris shivered as a cold sensation spread throughout her body from her wrist. A few seconds later, she realized that her arm was now transparent, as it copied the background beneath it.

"Impressive." Victoria said, looking at her hands and body. She was like a human chameleon, though not completely invisible, she was impossible to spot when she remained perfectly still.

"Lie low on the ground and keep quiet." Harry instructed. "Someone's coming towards us."

Kris just nodded, though she wondered if Harry could still see her in the gloom. She felt Victoria's hand on her back and slowly the two women moved under a brush while Harry hid behind a tree trunk across the two women.

Kris patted her thigh, and finally found her handgun that was fixed to her leg. Luckily, the Abdicationists didn't think of searching their space suits for hidden weapons, and it was something Kris was grateful for.

Even though she had Harry protecting her and Victoria, she felt better holding a gun and knowing she had the power to protect herself without relying on someone. There was something different when holding a weapon, a feeling of empowerment that no bodyguard could ever replace.

After a few tense minutes of waiting, the three escapees finally heard voices heading towards them.

"I swear I saw a light here brother Matthew. It has to be them!" A man in white toga robes lined with red said.

"You drank too much again. Nothing's here." The second man called Brother Matthew, also in toga robes, replied. "You sure this is where you've seen them?"

"I... I think so?" The first man said uncertainly. "I think it was a flicker of light."

"It's probably a reflection of the moon light." Brother Matthew shrugged. "You're spending too much time with the sacred flowers, it's making you hallucinate. Next time, stop hanging around the greenhouses hoping to get a whiff and start taking your duties seriously! It was on your watch that the prisoners escaped!"

"I don't know how they managed to get out! It must be a new technology developed by the unbelievers!"

"No matter what our blind brothers and sisters invent, they cannot escape judgment day. We will be the future of humanity!"

The first man nodded and continued on the path, chattering loudly and proclaiming their beliefs while they held Greenfeld issued M-6 rifles awkwardly in their arms.

In front of Kris and Victoria, two stones roughly the size of a man's head slowly levitated. The two women followed the movement of the two rocks, having an idea about what Harry – the only one capable of this feat, was planning.

The rocks levitated high above the two men, and Kris and Victoria anticipated what will happen next. One of them suddenly fell, missing one of the pursuer's head by mere inches when he paused and adjusted the strap of his rifle.

THUD!

"What was that?" Brother Matthew quickly looked around, and noticed two large rocks that he was sure wasn't there before.

"Someone's here!"

"I told you so!"

Both Abdicators quickly raised their weapons, scanning the area for signs of their escaped prisoners.

"Come out sisters." The first man said. "Surrender and you will not be hurt."

"We promise." Brother Matthew added. The senior abdicator thought he saw movement at the corner of his eye, but when he used the light emitting from his newly acquired rifle to see who was lurking behind him only revealed shrubs and vegetation.

They needed to capture the two women, not only were they young and capable of childbirth, but the newly captured prisoner was a princess of one of the heretic factions. The great guides were planning to give her to their new allies as a gift, but after she had given their settlement a few new children to replenish their dwindling population and increase the genetic diversity on their planet.

He saw his fellow brother suddenly crumple down on the ground, unmoving. He was about to step towards his comrade when he felt blinding hot pain as something hard struck him behind the head.

"Took you long enough." Kris said as Harry dropped the disillusionment charm hiding them.

"I didn't want to risk using stunners." Harry said, quickly binding the two guards with thick ropes that materialized with a wave of his hand. "There were other search parties near them a few minutes ago, and they might see the red light that the curse gives off."

"Why'd you miss with those rocks?" Victoria asked, still amazed at what Harry could do.

"It was too dark, and they were a bit far." Harry said. "You had better position than I had."

"What did you knock them out with?" Kris asked.

"I summoned the rocks back." Harry said. "I think I might have overpowered the summoning charm. It's really hard for delicate spells without a wand."

"Don't feel any mercy for them." Victoria said, kicking one of the bound guards hard on the ribs. "I remember this one's face, he kept on groping me when no one was looking."

"They didn't... violate you?" Kris asked.

"They haven't forced themselves upon me if that's what you're asking." Victoria said. "They had to wait until I was purified in some ceremony that was supposed to happen tonight."

"I think I got an invitation to that." Kris said. Her fists were shaking with anger at fear, dreading what would have happened if Harry wasn't there.

"No doubt they would have impregnated us." Victoria said. "Still, even if I was off limits, didn't mean those men can't grope a breast or a feel of my bum. I may have enjoyed a good rump in the sack before daddy forced me to join the navy..."

"I bet." Kris said. "The dresses you wore were the most scandalous I've seen, and I've seen Earth fashion and their disregard for modesty."

"Those were the good times." Victoria said, smiling a bit. She turned to Kris and gave the slightly older woman a hug again. "I was dreading this day, but thank god that you came Kris, and right on time too."

"It must be the Longknife Luck." Kris replied, now she too had moisture in her eyes. She could understand what Victoria had gone through, she experienced it firsthand with Arctucus forcing her to strip naked in front of his men.

Kris felt terror and fear then, even though she didn't show it. She couldn't fathom enduring that treatment for weeks, alone and knowing that in time she would be used and abused by these men. She hugged Victoria back, glad that she was safe.

The two girls stopped hugging when they heard a discreet cough behind them. They slowly broke apart and saw Harry watching them with amusement.

"Girls... they never really change." Harry said. He had seen how Lavender and Parvati, his fellow Gryffindors fight in the morning and then later reconcile in the afternoons, followed by hugging and crying, exactly what Kris and Victoria were doing.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Victoria asked.

ooo

_15 kilometers east of Abdicationist main settlement_

Jack Montoya waited patiently while his scout climbed down the large tree that he had used to gain a vantage point. Behind Jack, four squads followed him in two lines, warily looking at the surroundings, expecting an ambush at any moment.

The scout jumped the remaining ten feet to the ground and moved besides Jack.

"Well?" Jack Montoya, former bodyguard of Kris Longknife and commander of the marine company attached to the Wasp.

"I'm detecting faint traces of residual heat east of our position sir." The scout reported. "About ten thousand meters."

"Are you sure it isn't wildfire or something that occurs naturally? Jack asked.

"No sir." The scout projected a holographic map, showing their position and their surroundings. "The smoke and steam is too controlled, coming from one place."

"Strange." Jack frowned. "If what you saw is correct, then there's another settlement we haven't detected before when we came here."

"Could they be somewhere in there sir?" The scout asked. "The princess and Squad one?"

"No, I saw Kris steering her LAC to the river. She's nearer to the large settlement we visited before."

"Do you think that they're alright?"

"I'm sure of it." Jack replied, no doubt in his mind. Kris's squad had some of the best marines in the company, including Bruce who was a very capable soldier and sniper. She also had Harry, and Jack was sure that he wouldn't allow any harm come to Kris and her men.

After their drop, most of the LACs followed Jack's route to avoid the Itechee fighters that came from nowhere. Kris's command to have them fly under the cover of the forest canopy was smart, however not all LAC pilots were former skiff racing champions.

They had evaded the Itechee fighters, but one LAC clipped its wing on a tree and crashed and most of the squad on board suffered significant injuries. Jack made the injured squad guard their hidden LACs while the rest of the company headed towards the settlement.

The Wasp had suddenly disappeared from contact, and the last transmission that Drago sent to them before he was cut off was that they were being pursued by an unidentified ship.

"Let's investigate it." Jack decided. "It could be the base of those Itechee fighters."

"What about the mission?" Penny asked. She and Abby spent most of their time trying to establish contact with Kris, but something was interrupting their signals.

"Knowing Kris, she has probably proceeded with the mission on her own." Abby said.

"With only eleven men?" The scout asked, doubt evident in his voice. "That's impossible!"

"Yeah. And one of them is Harry." Jack pointed out.

The marines within hearing distance nodded, a bit of spirit returning to them. They had all feared that their precious leader and princess, who had courageously led them on so many battles, might have been captured and killed by the Abdicators or the Itechee. But then, Kris had Harry, the mysterious young man whom Kris had awakened in the ruins of an ancient castle.

Penny nodded and signaled the company to move on, heading to the unidentified settlement near Kris' position.

ooo

Kris held her hand up in a closed fist, and immediately Harry and Victoria crouched down behind her.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"I detected movement." Kris whispered back. She flipped the visor over her eyes and immediately showed the body heat of her surroundings. She looked around, and finally spotted something, too large to be a forest creature holding their position above a ridge.

She suddenly had an idea, and turned on her communicator. "Nelly, what can you tell from your scans?"

"They're definitely human." Nelly replied. "I'm detecting ten heat signatures. That could be them Kris."

"Can you try hailing them?" Kris asked.

"Something's still interfering with my signal." The computer sounded frustrated.

"Even at short range communications?" Kris asked.

"Yes Kris."

Kris looked back to her companions, only to see Harry standing above her and staring intently at the position where she was looking.

"What are you doing?" Victoria asked curiously.

"I'm just memorizing the details of that location." Harry said, flipping up his visor. "There, all done. I've found a perfect spot."

"Perfect for what?" Victoria asked.

Kris felt Harry grip her wrist and she heard Victoria mutter. "Not again!"

ooo

Bruce spied the three figures heading towards him with his scope, trying to decide if that was the princess and her bodyguard. They were too far away to see more details, and the only thing he could tell was that there were three heat signatures below the ridge.

One person stood up and Bruce aimed his scope directly on the person's head, wondering if they could see him.

"What do you think?" He asked Corporal Remie who was crouching down beside him. They had been forced to retreat deeper and deeper into the forest as dozens of men suddenly headed to the tree line, trying to flush out their position. He was confident he and the ten marines could have engaged them, when a company of Itechee warriors appeared, talking with the Abdicationists.

It was the first time he had seen a real live Itechee Warrior, and they were even stranger than in the pictures with their eight legs, four eyes and four arms. Each was roughly the size of an Earth horse or a Wardhaven Wakku, only armed to the teeth with heavy weapons. Bruce had no choice but to fall back, and trusted Harry to protect their princess.

"It's too far, and your scope's more powerful than our visors." Remie answered. "Should I head down and investigate?"

"That won't be necessary Corporal."

Bruce and his men, all crouching down along the ridge immediately turned around to see the source of the voice. Remie, in her shock fell on her butt and her rifle rolled to the feet of one Kris Longknife.

Bruce looked on with his mouth open, and checked his scope only to see that the three heat signatures he was tracking was missing.

"Relax Sergeant." Kris said. "I'm glad to see your are all fine."

"Princess Longknife!" Remie gasped. "You're safe!"

"I told you I'd be fine." Kris said, slightly smiling. She took off her helmet and sat down, tired from walking all night. "What's the status?"

"We hid deeper into the forest when the enemy tried to circle around us." Bruce reported. "Also mam, we've spotted Itechee warriors patrolling alongside those cult members."

"How many?" Kris asked.

"It was a company mam, a whole company!" Remie answered. "And I know we've studied them extensively, but it's completely different once you see one in person!"

"This just confirms that the abdicators have allied themselves with the Itechee." Kris said, looking at her marines. "But the real puzzle is what the Itechee want with a backward planet far out beyond Human space?"

ooo

"It's a god damn fortress." Jack Montoya cursed as he flipped off his visor.

"It's probably a staging point for a full thrust invasion." Abby mused. "Why would they spend so much time and logistics building this monstrosity?"

Jack and the rest of the Marines finally reached the area where the scout reported earlier as having signs of smoke and heat. What they found shocked them all, when they saw an enormous fortress, cylindrical in shape looming over the tops of the trees.

To their surprise, the large fortress was capable of lowering itself underground, becoming totally undetectable to even close orbital surface scans.

The ground shook again as the enormous fortress shaped like a pyramid started to lower itself, but not before launching a pair of Itechee fighters that would presumably patrol the surrounding area.

It was the first time that Jack and the marines have seen the famous Itechee aliens in person, and they were all astounded by the sheer size of the aliens.

Abby thought that they looked like centaurs, (she had always bought fantasy programs for her niece Cara who loved them) but with eight legs instead of four, with four arms and for eyes with a humanoid torso. She suddenly knew why these aliens came close to annihilating the human race. One on one, a human wouldn't stand much of a chance against such massive creatures.

They clearly used their bulk to their advantage, carrying heavy high energy weapons on their backs that no ordinary human could carry on his own. And if the rumors were, these Itechee were capable of running as fast as most vehicles, making them far deadlier in a fight in an open field.

The pair of fighters that had launched flew past them and Jack thought they were in the clear when suddenly, both turned back and started to circle exactly above them.

"This can't be good." Jack muttered. He heard a large wail coming out from the fortress and Itechee warriors started pouring out of the building, and moving towards them.

"Our cover's blown!" Jack shouted. "Let's head back to the ridge! Make sure to stay under the trees or those Fighters would be able to mark you!"

"Squad four, suppression fire now!" Penny added.

Squad four fired grenades and after the explosions, fired their M-6s on full auto, trying to slow down their pursuers. The rest of the squads rushed to the retreat point, while Jack's squad paused mid way and gave cover fire while squad four retreated.

The firepower of the marine company was effective, pinning down the Itechee and the aliens were forced to slow down their advance while they also returned fire. Yellow beams and from blaster fire and repulsor cannons rained down on the Wardhaven Marines, forcing them to take cover.

Jack used the terrain to his advantage, leading his men deeper and deeper into the trees where the vegetation grew dense, making it difficult for the Itechee to pursue.

"Get your butts here on the double!" Jack yelled. He and his squad aimed their M-6s at the Itechee closest to squad four, while two of his marines launched grenades at the enemy formation.

"Motherfucker." One of the marines who launched the grenade whispered. The Itechee merely galloped right through the wall of fire that the grenades produced, closer to squad four.

"We need more firepower. Get the pulse cannon ready." Jack ordered. Squad two ran to Jack's position and three marines hurried to assemble the pulse cannon.

"Hurry up." Jack said.

"Thirty seconds sir!"

Jack scowled and looked at squad four. They would soon be over run by the Itechee if he didn't do anything.

"Aim for the trees!" Jack ordered the grenadiers. "Bring them down!"

The two marines fired their grenades at the trees, and the resulting impact sent them crashing down on the forest floor. The explosions that followed a second later burned the wood, creating hazardous obstacles for the Itechee. The smoke also provided excellent cover for his men to retreat.

"Thank you sir." The squad leader of squad four said as he reached their position, gasping for breath.

"Pulse cannon ready sir!"

Jack glanced at the assembled gun, mounted on a large tripod operated by the three men.

"Give 'em hell." Jack said.

The leader of squad two nodded and aimed the pulse cannon towards the Itechee that he could see through the smoke. He pressed the trigger and the weapon fired a massive pulse of plasma energy.

A moment later Jack crouched down as a wall of superheated air rushed towards him from the resulting explosion. He could feel the heat through his armor and wondered what the Itechee were doing a hundred meters back at ground zero.

Jack smiled when he saw the result after the dust and smoke cleared. He had to thank Kris' great grandfathers, General Tordon Trouble and Ray Longknife for insisting that they bring along the heavy artillery. They were veterans of the Itechee war and knew how to kill them, quick and fast.

"Alright! Pack up and move out to the ridge. Hurry before they regroup!"

Penny nodded and the rest of the marines hurried towards their retreat point. Some of the marines have suffered injuries, and comrades helped their limping brothers and sisters through the forest.

"What do we do now?" Penny asked. They had gained a significant distance from their pursuers, and had now moved deeper into forest, to an area where they could see both the main Xanadu settlement and the path from the hidden Itechee base.

"We hide, and pray those Itechee don't find us." Jack said. "No fire tonight marines."

Penny just nodded, knowing that using fire would only give away their position. She didn't enjoy eating electronically warmed food packs, but she knew stealth was crucial in this operation. Her thoughts drifted to her fellow Marine lieutenant, Kris Longknife, and hoped she and her squad was safe.

ooo

_Earlier_

Sergeant Bruce was ahead, making sure that the path the rest of the squad would take was clear while Victoria chewed on the energy bars that corporal Remie gave her.

Unlike Kris and the rest of the Wardhaven marines, Victoria Peterwald-Smythe was relatively new to Navy life, with little training on physical conditioning. When asked, Victoria admitted that her joining the navy as a junior ensign (the lowest officer rank in the navy) was just a ploy by her father to boost morale of the Greenfeld navy. It was also known that the Greenfeld alliance had a patriarchal society, meaning most of its member planets had more traditionalist views and policies regarding women.

"Why did you stay in the navy then?" Harry asked. He found Victoria to be quite the character, inquisitive and eager. She hadn't quit trying to learn more about him since he and Kris rescued the young woman from the abdicators.

"Father thought it was a good publicity." The daughter of the first citizen replied. "It was such a big deal when Kris here became for famous for winning many battles. I admit most of the problems she encountered were caused by my late brother and father."

"Meaning assassination attempts, hired goons and elaborate traps." Kris added.

"And don't forget implanted computer viruses." Nelly added.

"Wow, you were like bitter enemies back then." Harry observed. He couldn't imagine being that friendly and cordial with Draco Malfoy, his bitter enemy during school and early on during the war. Draco had joined Snape to spy for the order of the Phoenix, and was there when Harry finally defeated Voldemort in an epic duel.

He looked at the two women that Corporal Remie told him had a combined net worth that could buy a small planet. He had seen how friendly the two ere to each other, and wondered what had transpired for bitter enemies to suddenly become friends.

"I was naïve back then." Victoria said. She finished her energy bar and drank from a bottle of water that one of the marines had given her. "I thought Kris killed my brother, and I wanted revenge."

"What?" Harry gaped.

"It turns out that he didn't." Victoria said, giving Kris a small smile.

"But I was still mad at her, even jealous. But Kris kept foiling my plans. It's that damn Longknife luck." Victoria added.

"There's no such thing." Kris replied. "I had experience Vicky, I've been in the Navy for three years and know how to take care of myself."

"And I was a spoiled heiress who slept around." Victoria added. "I had no discipline back then, and I never listened to my father or his advisors."

"Henry Peterwald-Smythe the twelfth even sent you his senior advisors?" Kris asked.

"He did."Victoria nodded. "I was the remaining heir, and he didn't want me making hasty decisions. I was annoyed with them and so I drove them off by teasing them with a little bit of flirting."

"You can't imagine how fast an old, married man will immediately leave you when you flash them your breasts." Victoria grinned.

"You already did that back then." Kris said. "Your dresses in the social parties were notoriously scandalous. I saw you a few times then, and in the news feeds."

"That's not baring, I didn't show my nipples." Victoria argued.

"Vicky, it was only your nipples that were covered with those strips of cloths that you call evening gowns." Kris rolled her eyes at the younger heiress.

She didn't tell her how she felt inadequate meeting Victoria for the first time, with Victoria's full and voluptuous figure and those large breasts that were practically insulting Kris and her small chest. Thankfully Kris somehow got over her insecurities, but she had to admit Victoria was a lucky woman. Even now with the loose gray robes she was wearing, Victoria still radiated sensuality and sex.

"Kris, you know how hot it gets in New Eden. Garden parties were the rage back then, and my dresses were very comfortable."

"Yeah, and they made many men happy that night." Kris said dryly. "You're so luck Vicky, you don't know how I wish I'd grow a cup size or two."

"That again Kris?" Vicky sighed. "You don't know how much I love your lithe form. I don't know how you keep your figure..."

The conversation between the two heiresses moved to breasts sizes and their advantages and disadvantages. Harry, confused and unwilling to hear more of the girly talk, increased his pace until he was walking alongside Sergeant Bruce. Bruce had just finished scouting the path ahead and was taking a drink of water from his canteen.

"Is everything fine?" Harry asked the elite marine sergeant.

Bruce nodded and capped his canteen. "Everything's clear down the path. If what you say is true, we might meet up with Lieutenant Montoya's force tomorrow at the earliest.

Harry had used his point me spell to guide the squad to Jack's position. Using geological maps that Nelly supplied for them, they had figured the fastest and safest route to get to their comrades.

The two men decided to break camp, seeing that most of the squad were winded, and they had been walking straight through the afternoon without stopping. Harry knew how heavy the space suits were, and added to that was the M-6 rifle and the basic logistics pack that each marine was required to carry.

"This looks suitable." Bruce said, pointing to a spot. Harry agreed, the area was covered by the trees, and they had a good vantage point to prevent anyone from sneaking up on them.

The young wizard added his own protections, a notice me not charm and perimeter ward for additional security before he too settled down.

"Make sure no one wanders off." Harry said to Bruce. "I've added a notice-me-not charm that extends for around fifty feet in all directions. If anyone except me wanders outside that perimeter, they won't be able to see the camp."

"That's a pretty weird name for your magical trick." Kris said. She handed Harry her canteen and he gratefully took a long drink of water.

Harry immediately spat the liquid he felt in his mouth after taking a gulp and glared at Kris. "What's this?"

"Its water added with the necessary salts and nutrients. The Medic wants us each to drink one full bottle." Kris said with amusement.

Harry nodded and drained the canteen quickly, he didn't want to savor the weird taste of the liquid. "That tastes horrible."

Kris snorted and capped the canteen and tucked it back to her belt. "You're worse than my mother, I swear."

"I just want a nice good drink of water, not that contraption that the medic had concocted." Harry countered. He noticed that beside the two sentries, everyone had taken off their chest piece armor and he quickly followed suit.

"That's better." Harry said. The armor was really bulky, and it was hard to relax wearing it while sitting.

Kris had all but detached the clamps on hers, when she realized something. "Oh."

"What's wrong?" Victoria asked.

"I just forgot that I wasn't wearing anything underneath." Kris said.

"Why's that?" Victoria asked. "We may serve in different navies, but I know that it's uncomfortable wearing your space armor without any underwear. It's supposed to be unhygienic and hard on the bits."

"It is." Kris said. "My bare butt's freezing with the suit's cooling systems."

"So what happened Mam?" Remie asked.

"Everything went according to plan." Kris said. "We allowed ourselves to be captured so that we could speak first with the Abdicationist leaders then find your location, Vicky."

"Oh. They stripped searched you didn't they?" Victoria asked.

"They did." Kris admitted. The princess of Wardhaven tried to make light of the situation and added. "And I know for a fact that Harry got a nice look. I didn't realize my new bodyguard's a pervert."

"Funny." Harry remarked as the females of the squad giggled.

"But Kris peeked too!" Nelly said suddenly. "I observed her looking at Harry when they were both naked! I saw how your eyes widened when you saw Harry!"

Everyone was now looking at Kris and Harry, with eyes wide with shock and amusement. Bruce and a few male marines gave Harry winks and thumbs up signs when Kris wasn't facing them, while the females were looking at him with keen interest. Some were even appraising him, wondering if Kris was impressed with what she saw.

"Did your record it Nelly?" Victoria asked.

"Sure did!" Nelly answered cheerfully. "I'm going to show it to Cara! I read about human education, and it's about time she studies proper sexual education!"

"Nelly! Delete it now!" Kris shouted. "And Harry, conjure up my clothes."

"I can't." Harry said.

"And why not?" Kris demanded.

"If I conjure your clothes, they'll be gone within a few hours. Conjured objects are like that you see. And these clothes we wear have a different material that I'm not familiar with. Technically I haven't actually finished wizarding school..."

"But you made our space armors appear!" Kris insisted, unaware of the confused faces around her due to Harry's answers. "Surely a pair of undergarments is easy!"

"I used a switching spell, and that's different." Harry said, expecting that would explain things. He looked at Kris' and the other's faces and realized no one here would be able to understand what he was saying. He figured that explaining the differences of Transfiguration and Charms and what category the switching spell is would only confuse them further.

"Just... I can't do it, okay? Let's leave it at that." Harry said. He quickly walked ahead and the group resumed walking.

"Nelly, don't think I forgot what I said earlier. Delete that data!" Kris snapped.

"No!"

"Delete it or I'll have Sam and Aunt Tru purge that data from your system when we get back!" Kris threatened while the marines watch her with amusement, they were used to these types of argument between the princess and her supercomputer.

'Nelly please?' Kris said, using her neural link with her computer. 'Delete the part of me naked. It will only ruin my reputation if someone was suddenly able to get their hands on you and download it.'

'Okay Kris.' Nelly said, seeing the logic in her owner's statement. 'Kris? Should I delete Harry's images and video during the strip search?'

'Just how many Video Nanos did you launch?' Kris asked.

'Just a few. One focused on you and the other on Harry.' Nelly answered.

'Keep Harry's file okay?' Kris asked. Her cheeks blushed red as she watched her bodyguard walking ahead of her.

'Yes Kris.' Nelly said. 'Should I store it in Kris' naughty folder?'

"Nelly!" Kris said out loud. "Delete the file I specified!"

Victoria was fascinated, the computers manufactured in the Greenfeld alliance weren't given a personality, or as sophisticated as Nelly is. She was impressed with seemingly how human Nelly interacted with her fellow humans.

"Fine, I'm deleting it right now from my memory banks." Nelly said.

"Insane." Harry declared. "Girls are absolutely insane."

Bruce and the other males nodded seriously, as if they understood Harry and sympathized with his plight.

ooo

Harry volunteered to take the least desirable shift for guard duty. He needed the time anyway to learn more of his new power. While it was true that he was a wizard of considerable skill, he was nowhere near the level of his mentor, Dumbledore or Lord Voldemort.

The war broke out too soon, and Dumbledore was forced to lead the Order of the Phoenix to fight Voldemort, leaving Harry's training incomplete. When Dumbledore was murdered, things immediately became dire. No one was left to keep Voldemort in check, and the courageous few, like Kingsley Shacklebolt and Filius Flitwick perished against the Dark Lord's might.

The pressure for Harry to step up increased and that was when those mysterious figures in hooded robes approached him, offering the power to defeat the Dark Lord... for a price.

Harry closed his eyes and extended his senses, clearing his thoughts and emotions. Unlike in this world, or any world since had awakened, he couldn't feel the even one single presence of a fellow wielder of magic.

He remembered the time in the forbidden forest when the four hooded figures finished giving him the promised 'power' to defeat the Dark Lord.

ooo

ooo

" _That's it?" Harry stared at his hand. His body glowed for a moment and then nothing..._

"_It is done, warrior." _

"_I thought you'd give me the power to defeat Lord Voldemort!" Harry exclaimed. He didn't even feel a change in his power levels, or knowledge of deadly spells to match Voldemort's._

"_We did." The hooded man answered. "We gave your body the knowledge it needs to wield the universal energies."_

"_Universal Energies?" Harry asked. "What crap is this?"_

"_Courageous, but woefully ignorant." One of the hooded figures remarked._

_Harry glared at the figure, who seemed unaffected and merely stood there, his robes perfectly still despite the gentle breeze that picked up._

"_Spells, words of power, rituals, wands." The first hooded stepped closer to Harry. "They allow you to draw upon the Universal energies, converting them into your 'magic'."_

"_What if you didn't convert them into Magic?" He continued, staring at Harry. The young wizard stepped back, seeing the hooded man's eyes for the first time. They didn't have irises at all, instead they glowed with an unearthly yellow, full of inner power. "What if you directly use that energy, and you store them upon your body as a vessel?"_

"_What are you?" Harry asked._

"_Questions about us are not part of the bargain, young one." The man said. "We will collect payment once your task is done. Fare you well, warrior."_

_A bright light engulfed Harry and he found himself back at the headquarters, standing in front of the fire. What just happened? Was it a dream?_

"_Harry?" Hermione called to him, wondering why he stood so still. He looked up when he heard his name being called again."Harry!"_

_ooo_

"Harry!"

"What are you doing just standing there? Are you alright?"

His eyes snapped open and he looked at the source his voice. He saw Kris who looked worried, immediately gasp when she saw him.

"Harry, your eyes, they're glowing!" Kris said, shocked.

"Sorry." Harry said. He closed his eyes for a moment and they returned back to normal after a moment. "I still don't have the hang of this."

"What do you mean?" Kris asked. "Isn't that magic?"

"No." Harry said. He raised his left hand and stared at it for a moment, watching as orbs of energy appeared around his palm and fingers. "This, is something entirely different."

"Just how powerful are you?" Kris asked.

Harry didn't reply and she continued. "Harry, I saw you destroy an Itechee fighter with this... magic of yours. You could have handled all those Abdicators without breaking a sweat."

"Not really." Harry replied. At Kris' disbelieving look he smiled. "I'd probably sweat a drop or two. You know it's awfully hot and humid down on those underground tunnels."

Kris just smiled back and decided to join him on watch duty. She watched the small orbs dance around Harry, mesmerized by the different colors of light they gave off.

"So what do you want to talk about?" Harry asked. The orbs of light disappeared, and he kicked pebbles on the ground and sat down. "You didn't come here to discuss about how powerful I am."

"How'd you know?" Kris asked. "Don't tell me you can read minds?"

"I haven't managed to get the hang of that trick yet." Harry said.

Kris didn't know whether he was joking or not and sat beside him. "I was just wondering why you weren't using your powers all the time to help us."

"You do know about my history right?" Harry asked. "I remember we talked a little about my past while we were on Earth."

"A bit." Kris said, remembering their 'date' where Harry was eager to explore and see what happened to humanity. "I don't know most of the details, though Nelly has a copy of the articles and newspapers about you. You were a prominent figure in your society weren't you? They called you the boy-who-lived?"

Harry smiled at his old name. In truth he was glad that the people here only referred to him using his own name, and not some silly hyphenated title. Here he was just Harry, but he never he realized what was the cost of achieving that wish.

"That was me." Harry said. "I was responsible for his first defeat when Voldemort. He attacked my home when I was a baby, and killed my parents. He was about to kill me, but then something happened, something he didn't expect. Due to an ancient protection that my mother gave me before she died, the killing curse that Voldemort sent me bounced back to him."

"So that's how they called you the boy-who-lived." Kris guessed.

"Yeah. Ever since then people saw me as a symbol, someone who defeated a dark wizard so powerful that they feared to even say his name." Harry said.

"He-who-must-not-be-Named?" Kris said. She remembered a particular issue of the daily prophet where it kept referring to someone, but refused to name the person directly. This had gotten a few laughs from professor Mfumbo and his scientists.

"I thought you said you only know a little about my past?" Harry asked. "Anyway, when Voldemort came back again, that's when things went sour. People turned to me and my mentor, demanding that we defeat Voldemort and his followers as soon as possible."

"Why don't they fight this Voldemort themselves?" Kris asked. "Why should they place that burden upon your shoulders?

"Because I was a symbol. A pillar of light, the next Albus Dumbledore." Harry said. "The society where I lived was difficult to understand. My mentor, Albus Dumbledore was a great wizard, powerful and charismatic. He was the headmaster of the magical school I studied in, and defeated the previous Dark Lord before Voldemort."

"Albus Dumbledore grew in stature, and then gradually over time, as he protected the wizarding world against dark wizards and witches. Our society grew complacent, and began to rely on him whenever something comes up that threatens their safety."

"Let me guess, it back fired in the end?" Kris asked.

"It did. He told me a few weeks before he died that it was one of his greatest mistakes. His love for society blinded him to what was happening." Harry said. "Overtime, the auror forces – that's the equivalent of a police force, grew complacent. New recruits were less talented than their retiring counterparts, and the magical government didn't pass new laws for the betterment of society and even encouraged racism and bigotry. Dumbledore tried his best to fight those laws, but it wasn't enough, the magical government eventually grew corrupt and stagnant."

"That's dangerous. It's the perfect breeding ground for rebels and terrorists." Kris observed.

"The wizarding world was caught off-guard when a new dark lord appeared. They were ill equipped to handle Voldemort and his guerilla tactics, while the local wizards and witches immediately demanded for Dumbledore to confront him."

"What happened?" Kris asked.

"Imagine to everyone's shock, that the duel between Dumbledore and Voldemort came to a standstill. But Dumbledore admitted to me before that Voldemort was more powerful than he is." Harry said.

"So when your mentor Dumbledore died, these people looked up to you to fight Voldemort." Kris said. "That must have been hard."

"You wouldn't believe it. Most wizards and witches actually blamed me for their suffering."

"How could they? You're just one man!" Kris exclaimed. "Why didn't you run? You could have hid yourself somewhere on the other side of the planet."

"I'm not a coward, and besides, I need to protect my friends, some have sacrificed their lives, everything to help me. Running would only dishonor their memories." Harry stood. "Besides, that son of a bitch killed my parents. Do you think I'd walk away from a fight?"

Kris shook her head in agreement.

"In the end I defeated him, not because of the wizards and witches telling me to save them, but for my friends, and a chance that I'd finally live my own life without anyone meddling." Harry said. "But then they came, and I had to pay my due."

"Do you realize now why I don't help your men with every single thing? It's obvious that you, and the Wasp's crew and the Wardhaven marines are good at what they do. If I help with every little thing, every clash and engagement, then they'd let their guard down. You have surrounded yourself with amazing people Kris."

"I tend to pick the best to work for me." Kris smiled.

"Yeah, I'm the best!" Nelly added.

"Of course Nelly. No one even comes close." Harry replied. He turned to Kris and looked straight at her eyes. "But that doesn't mean I won't help. And I'm your bodyguard Kris, so rest assured you have my protection."

Harry's eyes glowed for a moment before he smiled. "Come one, Bruce already had his six hours. It's his shift."

Kris accepted his offered arm and the two quietly headed back to the center of the camp. The princess of Wardhaven briefly squeezed her bodyguard's arm, her heart lighter for what she had learned tonight.

__ooo

_Morning, Xanadu, Present time_

Pooom!

A projectile slammed into Lieutenant Penny Lien's shoulder, sending her tumbling down the ridge.

"Penny!" Jack shouted. "Medic!"

"On it sir!" The medic ran after Penny's rolling body down the slope. The other marines increased their rate of fire to provide the medic cover as he struggled to reach Lieutenant Penny Lien, whose body was exposed to weapons fire.

Jack's marine company had made it to a hill where they knew had the best defensive position. The journey took the better part of the day, and during that time they had suffered quite a few casualties.

The fighters started to carpet bomb the part of the forest, clearing out trees to make a path for the hulking Itechee warriors. Two of his scouts were caught in the bombardment, and more suffered bruises, shrapnel wounds from the Itechee fire.

Jack's M-6 hummed as it spit out deadly rounds, primed to reach optimum distance for maximum effect. Meanwhile, his snipers were hidden beside boulders and rocks, raining down hell on the Itechee, trying to slow down their advance.

"Jack, they're turning around for a bombing run!" Abby shouted.

"Grenades! Now!"

The marines fired fragmentation grenades on the Itechee nearest them. The explosion killed the bolder warriors, while the wall of fire confused the fighters as they descended on the Marine company's position. The fighters dropped their bomb at the wrong position from the result of the grenade explosions, though it was still quite near that one of the scouts at the front flew away from the blast wave.

Jack paused and helped the female scout up, her space armor taking the brunt of the damage of the explosion.

"You alright?"

"Yes sir! Though I'd feel this tomorrow." The female marine scout said looking at her battered armor.

"If we're alive by tomorrow." Jack said. He activated his visor and took aim at the Itechee. "Snipe mode everyone! Save your rounds!"

BOOM!

The marines ducked behind the ridge as the Itechee brought out their own heavy guns. Jack focused his visor, trying to identify where the heavy gun was located. There!

A large Itechee Warrior that had an energy cannon mounted on his back, stood a few kilometers away, while two smaller Itechee warriors assisted him in firing the weapon.

"Can anyone get a bead on that artillery?" Jack shouted.

"On it sir!" A pair of snipers, carefully hidden higher up the ridge took aim and fired. The bullets reached the warrior, but its armor was enough to repel the high velocity bullets.

"Damn!"

The large Itechee Warrior was forced back a few steps from the recoil as its mounted cannon fired again.

BOOM!

The impact was closer to their position and Jack ducked while rocks and earth rained down on him. He inspected his men and grew worried for their safety. He knew the next shot would soon reach them.

He borrowed the female scout's sniper rifle and aimed at the large Itechee wreaking havoc on their position. His finger was on the trigger and he aimed for the neck of the warrior, hoping the armor there was thin.

The Itechee warrior suddenly moved backwards and it buckled. It opened its mouth in agony and it looked to be favoring its two rear right legs. Someone else was firing at it!

Jack looked for the source and activated the infra red visor, hoping to see the missing squad that had the princess of Wardhaven with them. He finally spotted them, roughly three kilometers from his position. They were arrayed in pairs of two in a rough line, firing in bursts before ducking for cover when the Itechee fired back.

"Sir! We're running out of ammunition!" A gunnery sergeant said.

"Then make each bullet count!" Jack snapped. He grunted when a projectile glanced off his right shoulder, and he shook of the pain and switched his M-6 rifle to his left hand. The Itechee were close now, he knew that once the eight legged aliens reached their position, they would be slaughtered.

"The fighters are coming again!" Abby shouted.

Jack looked up and saw three faint speck dots heading towards them, determined to make their bombing run count. The marine lieutenant cursed, he knew there was no time to fall back. He just prayed for luck and continued firing, emptying his clip in a matter of seconds.

Jack thought the bombing run had begun when he saw a speck of light, far brighter than the energy weapons being used in the battle. A second later Jack heard a loud rumbling noise, and he looked up in shock to see the large fortress looming over them slowly collapse to the ground.

Gradually, the firefight stopped as everyone on the battlefield looked back at the large dust cloud where the fortress once stood. It was eerily silent, except for the three Itechee fighters that aborted their bombing run once they realized that their base was destroyed.

"What happened?" Abby asked.

"I don't know... could it be?" Jack looked up and grinned when he saw dozens of familiar shapes descend from the clouds, guns blazing as they wreaked havoc on the Itechee ranks. The enemy warriors flashed distressed colors from the two strips on their torso, and as one retreated back to their former positions.

"Captain... Montoya." Jack heard Captain Drago's voice in his earpiece and he laughed with relief. Around him Marines shouted with joy, waving their guns at the smaller PT boats that gave chase to the three Itechee fighters.

"You won't believe how happy I am to hear your voice, skipper." Jack shouted over the shouts of celebration.

"We got held up." Captain Drago said. "But we're here now, with some reinforcements."

"That was a nice shot on that fortress." Jack said.

"We didn't do it." Drago sounded confused. "I thought you planted bombs on that structure..."

"Jack!" Abby shouted. "You have to see this!"

Jack flipped on his visor and zoomed in on the area that Abby was looking at. Walking casually out of the dust cloud was Kris Longknife, looking thrilled and breathing heavily. Beside her walked her bodyguard, Harry Potter, looking seemingly unconcerned at the Itechee around them.

"I'll be damned."

One of the larger warriors confronted the two, eager to exact revenge for the destruction of their fortress. Kris looked concerned, but Harry held out his hand and the large Itechee warrior that Jack guessed weighed half a ton, was lifted off his feet and hit a fellow warrior quite a far distance from where it originally stood.

"I'll bet you ten Wardhaven dollars that Kris was the one responsible for that." Abby said.

"No bet." Jack said, still smiling. "That girl's usually the center of all the trouble."

Jack leaned back on a mound of dirt and looked up at the sky, watching as the Wasp and a few other unfamiliar ships, but clearly human, prepared to land. "It's that damn Longknife luck."

ooo

ooo


End file.
